The widespread cancellation of press accreditation cards is an obstacle to media freedom. The Editors’ Council appears that broad cancellation of press accreditation cards endangers media freedom and impedes the creation of a democratic atmosphere. In a press release issued on Tuesday, Mahfuz Anam, President of the Editors’ Council, and Dewan Hanif Mahmud, General Secretary, stated the following.
The widespread cancellation. The statement mentions that the Directorate of Information (PID) has canceled the accreditation cards of a total of 167 journalists in three phases. The list includes many professional and active journalists as well as editors, which has caused concern among the Editors’ Council and its members.
The Editors’ Council believes that if accreditation cards are misused, the Ministry of Information has the authority to assess them. However, broad cancellation of press accreditation cards in the absence of specific claims or evidence of wrongdoing endangers media freedom and impedes the establishment of a democratic environment. This raises the potential of censorship and a controlling climate in the media, which runs counter to the underlying spirit of the July-August revolt. The Editors’ Council sees this as a continuation of the undemocratic tactics of the previous tightly regulated regime.
In this instance, the Editors’ Council advises the Ministry of Information to refrain from taking such broad steps without specific claims or evidence of misconduct. The Council also asks for a halt to all sorts of media attacks, as well as measures to ensure independent and democratic journalism.
The widespread cancellation
