Journalists express concern as Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Rajib Ghosh taken to DB headquarters

Concern and anger have spread through the journalist community after journalist leader Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury and DBC News special correspondent Rajib Ghosh were taken from their workplace to the Detective Branch (DB) office for questioning. Several journalists’ organisations have issued statements demanding their release, while many others have condemned the incident on social media.

Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury and Rajib Ghosh were taken from the DBC News office in the capital’s Mohakhali area to the DB headquarters on Minto Road on Wednesday afternoon.

Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury is a former information adviser to former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, a former president of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), editor of the Daily Observer and former chairman of DBC News. Rajib Ghosh is the organisation’s chief of crime and a special correspondent.

The DB has been questioning the two since the incident. However, several hours later, no decision had been announced on what legal action, if any, would follow. Uncertainty persisted over whether they would be arrested or released after questioning.

Mohammad Akhtar Hossain, deputy commissioner (media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), said an untoward situation had developed at the DBC News office over the broadcast of a news report. In those circumstances, Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury and Rajib Ghosh were taken safely to the DB office for questioning, he said. He added that neither man had been detained or arrested and that a decision would be announced after the questioning.

Asked about Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury being taken into custody, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said that, if he had been detained, it would be because there were specific allegations against him and that necessary legal steps were being taken. The matter would be examined in accordance with the law, he added.

The incident has prompted questions among journalists about the justification for taking two reporters from their workplace to the DB office. Colleagues have also called for a clear explanation of the specific allegations against them and the next steps in the process.

The Journalists’ Front Against Repression strongly condemned the decision to take Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury into DB custody and expressed deep concern, while demanding his immediate release.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the organisation’s convener, Akhtar Hossain, and member secretary, Sheikh Jamal, said taking a senior journalist from his workplace without specifying any allegation was regrettable and unprecedented. They described the incident as an attack on press freedom and a violation of fundamental and human rights.

Ensuring the freedom and security of journalists is the state’s responsibility, they said, adding that incidents of this kind create anxiety across the media community. They called for Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury’s immediate release.

The Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) also expressed deep concern over Rajib Ghosh being taken to the DB office.

In a statement on Wednesday, its president, Abu Saleh Akon, and general secretary, Mainul Hasan Sohel, said the incident had caused concern among journalists. Any action by law enforcement agencies, they said, must comply with existing laws and due legal process.

The DRU leaders said allegations against any journalist should be addressed through established legal procedures. They stressed the need for transparency and accountability to protect press freedom and journalists’ professional rights. They called on the authorities to clarify Rajib Ghosh’s whereabouts to his family and colleagues and to release him promptly if there were no legal grounds for holding him.

The Aviation and Tourism Journalists’ Forum of Bangladesh (ATJFB) also expressed concern, anger and protest over the removal of its vice-president and DBC News special correspondent Rajib Ghosh to the DB office.

In a joint statement on Wednesday, the organisation’s president, Tanzim Anwar, and general secretary, Baten Biplob, said it was alarming that Ghosh had been taken from his workplace without clarity about any arrest warrant or legal procedure.

They said such treatment of a professional journalist and an elected leader of a journalists’ organisation sent a troubling signal for independent journalism and civil liberties. Any action by law enforcement agencies, they added, must follow the law and due process. In cases of detention or arrest, the legal basis for the action and the individual’s whereabouts should be made clear to family members, colleagues and other concerned parties.

The statement further said journalists must be able to perform their professional duties and enjoy their personal freedoms without obstruction. Taking a journalist away in this manner, they warned, would create fear and anxiety within the media community. They demanded Rajib Ghosh’s immediate release.