TIB condemns attack on journalists at RU, demands justice above political identity

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has strongly condemned and expressed outrage over an armed attack and death threats against media workers at Rajshahi University. The organisation demanded justice by rising above the political identity and influence of those involved in the attack.

At the same time, TIB called on the leadership of the ruling BNP and the opposition Jamaat-e-Islami to take effective initiatives for radical reform and self-purification to control their respective parties and affiliated organisations and stop the violent struggle for establishing dominance.

The organisation made these calls in a reaction sent to the media on Monday, October 5.

TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said, "Justice must be ensured for the media workers and students who were attacked. The attackers and their collaborators and patrons must be brought to exemplary accountability through the legal process by conducting a neutral investigation rising above political identity and influence."

He said proper treatment of the injured, the safety of media workers and students, and an investigation into the reasons for the failure to perform duties, as well as police accountability, must be ensured. Attacks on journalists undermine people's right to information and narrow the scope for holding the powerful accountable, and the state must ensure redress for this.

Dr Iftekharuzzaman said, "The helplessness of the university authorities and the police's failure prove that solving such power-struggle-centric problems does not depend only on holding the directly guilty accountable. Rather, without radical reform and self-purification of political parties, especially the powerful ones, the goals of the July uprising will remain distant, and the basic rights of all citizens — including a free media, freedom of speech and dissent, and security of life and livelihood — will face increasingly greater threats."

Calling for specific steps from political leadership, the TIB executive director said, "Can the ruling BNP and the opposition Jamaat-e-Islami evade their main political responsibility of stopping the violent struggle for dominance and controlling their respective parties and affiliated organisations? Instead of ending their show of responsibility by forming investigation committees or taking organisational measures, they must stop the indulgence and patronage of violence, ensure an environment suitable for bringing those involved in crimes under the law, and establish democratic practice and accountability in party decisions and behaviour. It is not possible to gain people's trust in political parties without ensuring these changes in their own organisations. Political leadership must realise that they are becoming increasingly alienated from the people because of the behaviour of their own party leaders and activists."

Explaining the administration's failure to prevent the attack in the broader context of the erosion of the university's institutional authority, Dr Iftekharuzzaman said, "There is no scope to view this incident as an isolated matter. The demands for the resignation of the vice-chancellor and teachers, violence centring the spread of influence on campus, land grabbing and displays of muscle power, and instability created at various times have brought this institutional weakness to the fore. Students' right to seek justice and make demands peacefully must certainly remain protected. If there are allegations against the vice-chancellor or teachers, a neutral investigation and procedural accountability must be ensured. But the use of party influence, intimidation or force to realise demands for resignation cannot be acceptable. A situation cannot be allowed to continue where, with political indulgence, a section of students becomes so over-empowered that the university administration cannot take responsibility and the police also fail to enforce the law. The university will be run according to law and regulations, not by the dominance of party power."

TIB demanded uncovering the reasons for the failure of the university authorities and police and determining responsibility. The organisation said there is no scope to evade responsibility by citing political pressure or helplessness; the government must take responsibility for ensuring that political identity does not become a shield for crime and that the university administration and law enforcement agencies can perform their duties rising above party influence.