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Jail term for Manavzamin editor

Editors term verdict unprecedented obstruction to press freedom

Staff Correspondent
Expressing serious disappointment at jail terms and fines awarded to the editor and the publisher of the daily Manavzamin, the editors of 16 leading dailies in a joint statement yesterday termed the verdict an unprecedented interference in the freedom of press.
"This verdict has made us concerned about the independence of the press in future," said the statement of the editors.
The High Court on Monday sentenced Chief Editor of the Manavzamin Motiur Rahman Choudhury to a one-month jail term and fined him Tk 2,000. Mahbuba Choudhury, the publisher, has also been fined Tk 2,000 on charge of contempt of court.
"We, the editors, issued a statement in November 2000 suggesting that the Supreme Judicial Council take up the issue of alleged contempt of court since it was something very serious about possible impropriety involving the higher judiciary," the editors pointed out.
The suggestion that came after the implicating of four dailies -- Manavzamin, Sangbad, Janakantha, Jugantor and Ittefaq -in the contempt case was ignored, they regretted.
"We preferred that the Supreme Judicial Council act for protection of transparency and image of the judiciary. We have a firm and unwavering belief in independence of the judiciary and express our highest respect for it. Equally, we have a firm commitment to the freedom of press and the people's right to know.
"The court and the press have common roles to play in many cases. And, the matter (taped conversation between Ershad and a High Court judge) was published by different newspapers being fully conscious of the judiciary's image. Our objective was not to undermine the judiciary but to help uphold its image by revealing the flaws."
In their statement, the editors hoped that the issue (contempt of court) would be considered, given the dignity of the court, freedom of newspapers and freedom of expression. "We're determined to protect the independence of the press at any cost."
Signatories to the statement are Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury of The Bangladesh Observer, Mahbubul Alam of The Independent,
Moazzem Hossain of The Financial Express, AM Mofazzal Karim of The New Nation, Rahat Khan of the Ittefaq, Motiur Rahman of the Prothom Alo, Bazlur Rahman of the Sangbad, Golam Sarwar of the Jugantor, Atiqullah Khan Masud of the Janakantha, Kazi Shahed Ahmed of the Ajker Kagoj, Benazir Ahmed of the Bhorer Kagoj, Motiur Rahman Choudhury of the Manavzamin, Kazi Siraz Uddin Ahmed of the Dinkal, Md Zakaria Khan of the Banglabazar Patrika, Mahfuz Anam of The Daily Star and AMM Bahauddin of the Inqilab.