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Intellectuals condemn attack on Prothom Alo

Staff Correspondent
Twenty-six intellectuals yesterday condemned the attack on the daily Prothom Alo by the fanatics for publishing reports on alleged militant activities of extremist groups in Chittagong.
The signatories in a joint statement in the city expressed deep concern over the destructive activities of the fanatic groups. They urged the government to take necessary steps against the lawlessness of such groups and ensure freedom of the press.
Recently the fanatics staged demonstration and demanded cancellation of the declaration of the Prothom Alo.They also burnt copies of the daily and created obstacle to its circulation.
They vandalised billboards of the Prothom Alo-The Daily Star-GrameenPhone news service.
The signatories were Rehman Sobhan, Emaz Uddin Ahmed, Fazle Hasan Abed, Badruddin Omar, Mojibul Haq, Kalim Sharafi, Shamsur Rahman, S u f i a Ahmed,
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Zillur Rahman Siddiqui, Serajul Islam Chowdhury, Mozaffar Ahmed, Sardar Fazlul Karim, Anisuzzaman, M Hafizuddin Khan, Wahiduddin Mahmud, Qaium Chowdhury, Hasnat Abdul Hai, Khandkar Ibrahim Khaled, Abdullah Abu Sayeed, Farhad Mazhar, Shakhawat Ali Khan, Dilara Chowdhury, Mamunur Rashid, Rafiqun Nabi, Selina Hossain and Muhammad Jafar Iqbal.
Protests continued yesterday against bigots' threat to stop circulation of the Prothom Alo.
Former president and Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh (BDB) chief AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury yesterday expressed his concern over the threats of the bigots.
The BDB chief in a statement said the country's constitution has guaranteed freedom of the press under certain logical conditions.
"If newspaper reports hurt the interest of any person or organisation, they can seek justice from either the Press Council or court," he added.
"But instead, they (some madrasa teachers and students) resort to offensive activities against the daily," he said.
Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), a rights organisation, also expressed its concern over the bigots' threats against Prothom Alo.
This malpractice goes against freedom of the press guaranteed by the country's constitution and is a threat to free journalism, the ASK said.
Our Khulna correspondent reports: Journalists here yesterday condemned the government's attitude towards the attackers of the daily Prothom Alo bureau office in Chittagong.
Khulna Press Club and Khulna Union of Journalists (KUJ) in separate press statements said the government must take action against those who attacked the office and damaged bill boards.
The leaders of Khulna Newspaper Agents Association and Newspaper Hawkers Association said they will boldly face any move by the Islamist zealots to stop sale of Prothom Alo.
DemocracyWatch, a nongovernment organisation, in a statement expressed its concern over the offensive activities by a section of people.
"The government must take necessary action to stop conspiracy of robbing freedom of the press," said DemocracyWatch Executive Director Talea Rahman.
Other organisations that blasted the threats are Nijera Kari, Sammilita Samajik Andolon, Bangladesh Mahila Parishad and Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (Blast).