Dhaka, Sep 14 (V7N) – The Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia (FCC), the Press Club of India (PCI), the Indian Women’s Press Corps (IWPC), and the Press Association (PA) have voiced their "collective anguish and concern" over the selective harassment of Bangladeshi journalists and the "undue restrictions" imposed on them.

In a letter sent to Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Friday, the organizations urged him to take immediate action, highlighting that implicating 52 respected media professionals in murder cases, imprisoning some, and filing unsustainable charges against others in the International Crimes Tribunal represents "blatant violations" of freedom of expression.

"We trust that you, like us, believe that a free press should be a source of pride for Bangladesh. Please ensure the immediate release of journalists detained on frivolous charges," reads the letter, as reported by UNB.

The organizations emphasized that suppressing press freedom and silencing dissent tarnishes the image of both the current Administration and Bangladesh as a nation.

They called on Prof Yunus to take a firm stand against those who threaten press freedom and act against any harassment of journalists.

"As a globally respected Nobel Peace laureate, we urge you to personally intervene to safeguard journalists' rights and ensure their safety as they carry out their work without fear," the letter concludes.

The letter was signed by S Venkat Narayan, President of FCC; Gautam Lahiri, President of PCI; Parul Sharma, President of IWPC; and Chhaya Kant Nayak, President of PA, and sent to the Chief Adviser's Office.

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