Senior journalist Nazrul Islam Mithu barred from boarding abroad

Senior journalist and former president of Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) Nazrul Islam Mithu was stopped from travelling abroad at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.

He was prevented from boarding a scheduled China-bound flight on Sunday noon (May 3) after being held at immigration and later sent back, officials said.

Mithu, who is currently serving as the president of the Overseas Correspondents Association Bangladesh (OCAB) and is the Dhaka correspondent of German state news agency dpa, said he was stopped after completing boarding procedures.

He said he was taken aside by immigration officials and later escorted to the office of a senior police superintendent at the immigration department, where he was questioned about his identity, profession, and travel details.

An immigration police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the decision followed objections raised by intelligence agencies.

The journalist said representatives from the National Security Intelligence (NSI) and the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) also spoke to him during the process.

Mithu claimed that after a lengthy wait, he was informed that there was no police objection to his travel, but clearance from DGFI had not been received, leading to a temporary restriction on his departure.

He alleged that no specific reason was provided for preventing his travel and that he was not informed of any case against him.

After more than an hour at the airport lounge, his passport was returned and he left the airport after cancelling his trip.

Mithu described the incident as a violation of his fundamental right to movement and Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees freedom of movement.

The incident came a day after he spoke at a World Press Freedom Day event in Dhaka, where he called for an end to harassment and pressure on journalists.