Geneva, July 22: The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), the global media safety and rights body, expressed shock and grief over the killing of a young reporter in the Bangladesh capital during a nationwide protest against the job-quota system in the South Asian nation.
Hasan Mehedi (35), who worked for the Bangla digital media outlet Dhaka Times, was killed while covering the clashes between police forces and protesting students in the Jatrabari area of Dhaka on Thursday, July 18, 2024. The management of Dhaka Times confirmed that Hasan died from a bullet wound to his head. He is the 72nd journalist victim worldwide since January 1.
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“We demand a fair investigation into the incident that led to the death of Hasan Mehedi in Dhaka. As the populous country grapples with anti-reservation protests by young people, which have resulted in numerous fatalities, the authorities must take precautions to safeguard media personnel on the ground. Journalists in Bangladesh continue to work under adverse conditions due to various laws implemented by the government in recent years. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina must look into the matter seriously and adequately compensate the bereaved family as soon as possible,” said Blaise Lempen, president of PEC (https://pressemblem.ch/pec-news.shtml).
PEC’s South Asia representative, Nava Thakuria, informed that many Bangla media outlets have remained unresponsive since Thursday when the country witnessed massive protests by the student community. Mehedi is the first journalist to be killed this year in Bangladesh. Neighboring Myanmar lost one journalist, Ko Myat Thu Tun, to military atrocities during this period. In contrast, India witnessed the killings of two journalists, Shivshankar Jha and Ashutosh Shrivastava. On the other hand, Pakistan lost eight journalists this year, namely Hassan Zaib, Khalil Afridi Jibran, Nasrullah Gadani, Kamran Dawar, Mehar Ashfaq Siyal, Maulana Mohammad Siddique Mengal, Jam Saghir Ahmad Lar, and Tahira Nosheen Rana.
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(Nava Thakuria is a senior Indian journalist who contributes to various media outlets including print and digital platforms of India and across the world.)
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