Terming the incident of abduction of journalist Golam Sarwar an alarming example of an ongoing process to silence the media, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has demanded exemplary punishment for those who were involved in the heinous act through a proper investigation as soon as possible.
Journalist Golam Sarwar, who had been missing for four days, was rescued on Sunday evening from Chattogram’s Sitakunda.
Although the nation got a sigh of relief to find him four days after his disappearance, however, TIB in a statement on Monday insists that “It is not an isolated incident that journalist Sarwar was tortured and left half-dead”.
TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said “It is just an incident of cruel series of threats, intimidation against free journalism and independent media”.
He also termed the incident as “the horrific medieval barbarism” as Sarwar was found as unconscious, physically tortured, and tormented.
“It is as if the overall situation of the media is reflected in the cries of Sarwar. Despite the frequent incidents of torture on journalists and assaults on the control of the media, there is a dearth of appropriate punishments through strict legal measures, which we have long been concerned about," Dr Zaman said.
“It would not be an exaggeration to say that the government's repeated statements about free media and independent journalism are just 'political formalities”, he added.