Lift restrictions on journalists' access to Appellate Division: Nurul Kabir

Nurul Kabir, editor of the New Age and president of the Editors' Council, has called for the immediate lifting of restrictions on journalists' access to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. 

He said barring journalists from entering the courtroom amounts to a direct violation of the Constitution and urged the Chief Justice to immediately allow journalists access to the court.

"Holding trials in open court is a constitutional obligation in Bangladesh. It is deeply regrettable, unfortunate and shameful if the judiciary – the institution entrusted with protecting rights guaranteed by the Constitution – undermines people's right to information," Nurul Kabir said.

"The Editors' Council expects that Bangladesh's highest court will under no circumstances violate the constitutional requirement of conducting proceedings in open court and thereby expose itself to the charge of violating the Constitution," he said while participating in a sit-in organised by the Law Reporters Forum (LRF) demanding the restoration of journalists' access to the Appellate Division and several courtrooms of the High Court Division. The programme was held in front of the Supreme Court's main gate today (12 August).

In his speech, Nurul Kabir said, "Following a bloody mass uprising, there are expectations for democracy, democratic rights and justice in society. At such a time, the public should be informed through the media about court proceedings. Yet the leadership of the highest level of the judiciary is depriving people of their right to information."

He said, "In the past, whenever different governments tried to suppress the judiciary, the media stood by the judiciary. When that same media faces obstruction from the highest court while trying to perform its responsibilities, questions arise about the democratic mindset of the judiciary's leadership."

Nurul Kabir further said that if there are practical problems concerning journalists' access to the courts, those issues can be resolved through discussions with journalists' leaders. He also urged the Supreme Court authorities not to push journalists towards a broader democratic movement.

Dhaka Journalists' Union President Shahidul Islam said, "When people are deprived of their rights or subjected to injustice, they turn to the courts as their last resort. But where will people go when the court itself deprives them of their rights?"

Dhaka Reporters Unity President Abu Saleh Akon said the Chief Justice must answer what could possibly be happening in the courts that is so sensitive that the nation cannot know about it. Such restrictions, he said, create suspicion among the public.

LRF President Muhammad Yasin said journalists have been demanding the restoration of their access to courtrooms for a long time, but no effective action has been taken. If the demand is not met, the LRF will soon announce a programme to enter the courtroom of the Appellate Division.

More than 200 journalists from various organisations participated in the sit-in.