Police seeking political identities, personal information of journalists

Police are asking several journalists working in the capital for their political identities, social media ID links and national identity cards, including personal information, by calling them and visiting their houses.

The field police are asking for such information by calling the enlisted journalists based on a letter sent by the Special Branch of the Police (City Special Branch).

Assistant Superintendent of Police Md. Kamruzzaman of the Eastern Division of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Branch issued a letter in this regard on May 18.

Several police officials said that the letter was sent to the zone in-charges of various areas of Dhaka, including Motijheel, Demra, Shyampur, Sutrapur, Paltan and Sabujbagh.

The letter has directed local police officers to collect and submit detailed information on journalists and cultural figures in their respective areas.

The directives were asked to collect the names and addresses of the persons concerned, their educational qualifications, political affiliations or affiliations, whether they are involved in other professions outside journalism, family political background and social media account information.

Several journalists who received calls pretending to be police members working in the CTSB have expressed concern about the matter.

Stating that they are suffering from insecurity, the journalists complained that in many cases, the field members of the CTSB, who are responsible for collecting information, are speaking in an aggressive tone.

Journalists say that no state agency can be asked to know about the political identity of a journalist. This is not only against the freedom of the press, but also a threat to personal safety. Asking about the identity and seeking information of a person in this manner is unprofessional and threatening.

Among the journalists who received phone calls from the CTSB, Asif Shawkat Kallol, Head of News at Mirror Asia, told the media that the information of journalists is stored with the relevant ministry. If the information ministry wants, it can take help from specific media house or journalist organizations. Why is the Home Ministry doing this instead? There is no opportunity to take this issue as positive.

Sources said that three people from an English daily were called and were asked for information in the same way.

In this regard, Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) President Abu Saleh Akon said, "I was also called by the police. I could not talk much due to busy schedule. However, I am hearing that many of my colleagues are being called and are asked for various information including political identity, NID copy. Why is this being done? Does the government know about it? We are trying to find it out on behalf of DRU."

National Press Club General Secretary Ayub Bhuiyan said, this issue cannot be taken as a good gesture. We have to talk about it, protest it. If the government has made a decision, it must issue a circular. Special organizations cannot call journalists, go to their houses for questioning, get information, or ask them for their political identity."

A CTSB official, who did not wish to be named, told Views Bangladesh that the police headquarters gives general instructions for collecting the information about journalists who covers VVIP events. Police collect such information about journalists participating in the event and update the information regularly. However, there is no precedent for calling journalists to ask for information for this.

He also said that this should not happen. "Still, we are investigating. If someone has done this, then he probably misunderstood the instructions. The matter will be brought to the attention of the appropriate authorities."