Journalist Quader Gani Chowdhury is giving a speech in Rangpur on Saturday. Photo: BSS

RANGPUR, Jan 11, 2025 (BSS) - Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) 
Secretary General Secretary General Quader Gani Chowdhury has said the 
country's media has lost its public-oriented culture due to fascism.
 
"Journalism is a noble profession. Journalists are the biggest human rights 
activists because they stand by people in times of trouble. However, being 
caught in the grip of fascism for the past 15 years, the media has lost its 
noble culture," he said.
 
Gani commented this while speaking as the keynote speaker at the Rangpur 
divisional journalists' rally organised by the Rangpur Union of Journalists 
(RpUJ) at Rangpur Town Hall in the city on Saturday afternoon. 
 
The rally demanded justice for the killers of Sagar-Runi and other 
journalists, security, rights and protection of journalists, repeal of 
restrictive laws against media freedom, and an end to attacks, lawsuits, and 
harassment of journalists.
 
Proud mother Shamsi Ara Zaman Koli of journalist Tahir Zaman Priyo, who was 
martyred in the July 2024 Revolution, and a member of the July Shaheed Smriti 
Foundation, inaugurated the rally at 12:45 pm.
 
RpUJ President Salequzzaman Salek presided over the event moderated by its 
General Secretary Sarkar Mazharul Mannan. 
 
Convener of the Rangpur divisional journalists' rally implementation 
committee Rezaul Karim Manik delivered a welcome speech. 
 
Acting president of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) Obaidur 
Rahman Shahin attended the event as the chief guest. 
 
Dhaka Union of Journalists President Md Shahidul Islam, BFUJ Assistant 
Secretary General Dr Sadiqul Islam Swapan and Organizing Secretary Erfanul 
Haque Nahid, Member of the Board of Directors of BSS and Editor of the Dainik 
Juger Alo Momtaz Shirin Bharasa spoke as special guests. 
 
Rangpur Range DIG Md Aminul Islam, Additional Commissioner of Police of 
Rangpur Metropolitan Police Md Habibur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner Mohammad 
Rabiul Faisal, District BNP Convener Saiful Islam and its Member-secretary 
Anisur Rahman Laku spoke as guests of honor. 
 
The BFUJ Secretary General said, for the past 15 years, the media has not 
been able to call white as white and black as black. Due to this, the media 
in Bangladesh has fallen into a crisis of trust creating a distance between 
people and the media. 
 

"Journalists are now above the police and doctors in the list of abuses of 
common people. The media of the past 15 years has brokered fascism and 
flattered it. Many media outlets had been vocal against the July movement," 
he said.

Quader Gani Chowdhury said, "We will call white as white, black as black. We 
will hold the truth in our hands. We will not be defeated by lies. And then, 
no more fascists will be able to come to the soil of Bangladesh." 

"In journalism, there should be no partial truth, but the whole truth. It 
should be one hundred percent true. Then that would be journalism," he said.

He said, "We must climb above all fear and greed and present the truth to the 
nation. Those who do not have the courage to face this challenge, at least 
journalism is not for them."

Expressing his gratitude to RpUJ for arranging the Rangpur divisional 
journalists' rally, the BJUJ Secretary General hoped that the fire that the 
journalists of Rangpur division lit today will spread across the country to 
achieve their rights. 

He said political leaders will look for journalists. Journalists will not 
look for political leaders. Then it will be possible to do real journalism. 

 
"We agree with the rights and demands of journalists. We want to work on 
these. We want to arrange training for the professional development of 
journalists," he said.
 
He proposed naming a hall in Begum Rokeya University after Shaheed Abu Sayeed 
and naming a street after Tahir Zaman Priyo.
 
He said, "Martyrs must be kept alive. The martyrs of the July revolution must 
be kept alive. If they cannot be kept alive, this revolution will fail." 

Erfanul Haque Nahid said the media had been flattering fascists of the past 
for their own interests or to protect their own political and financial 
interests. As a result, they could not maintain their neutrality.

Shahidul Islam said, in addition to facing challenges of good journalism, 
journalists must stand united against misinformation. 
 
"For the last 15 years, there was no journalism in the country. The 
Journalists' Union is working to ensure that journalists can work with ease," 
he said. 
 

Chief guest Obaidur Rahman Shaheen said, "Media is a constant ally of 
democracy, good governance and rule of law. No matter which government comes, 
repression against the press is not desirable in any way."