The editors of national dailies yesterday demanded immediate withdrawal of the cancellation of Amar Desh's declaration and release of its acting editor Mahmudur Rahman.

In a joint statement, they strongly protested and expressed concern over the decision calling it a threat to people's right to information and state opinion freely.

The editors said, "The decision to close the newspaper would send a negative message to the world about Bangladesh's tolerance to

different views and democratic values. At the same time it will be considered as an impediment to democratic norms and culture."

According to the statement, the move would make some 700 journalists of the daily jobless putting their families into miseries.

The signatories of the statement were the editors Mahbubul Alam of The Independent, Reazuddin Ahmed of News Today, Matiur Rahman of Prothom Alo, Mahfuz Anam of The Daily Star, Golam Sarwar of Shamokal, Abed Khan of daily Kaier Kantha, Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury of the Daily Observer, Serajul Islam Choudhury of Notun Diganta, AMM Bahauddin of Inqilab, Alamgir Mohiuddin of daily Naya Diganta, Abul Asad of the Daily Sangram, Moazzem Hossain of The Financial Express, Shawkat Mahmud of Akhon, Nurul Kabir of New Age, Naeemul Islam Khan of Amader Shomoy, Salma Islam of Jugantor, Mostafa Kamal Mojumder of the New Nation, Shyamol Dutta of Bhorer Kagoj, Toufique Imrose Khalidi of BDNews24.com, Shahjahan Sardar of Bangladesh Protidin, Rashid-un-Nabi of Shokaler Khobor, Ekramul Haque of

Sheershanews.com and BSS former Chief Editor and Managing Director Foyez Ahmed, Chief Editor of Manabjamin Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, former editor of daily Amar Desh and weekly Akhon Ataus Samad, Founding Editor of daily Jai Jai Din Shafiq Rehman, Acting Editor of the daily Dinkal Rizwan Siddiqi and Chief Editor of Banglanews24.com Alamgir Hossain.

However, Abed Khan late at night withdrew his name from the joint statement.