Dhaka : Freedom of Conscience and Expression Shelved

 Dhaka : Freedom of Conscience and Expression Shelved

Nidhu Bhusan Das

When freedom of conscience and expression is denied,modernism is hurt,democracy injured.This happens in Bangladesh, as reported in the Chittagong Hill Tracts newspaper on 27 May. 

Sanjoy Kumar Barua reports:The Interim Government of Bangladesh has effectively penalized a respected academic for her intellectual convictions and principled defiance of patriarchal orthodoxy.

Nadira Yasmin, formerly Assistant Professor at Narsingdi Government College and an unflinching voice for gender parity, has been unceremoniously transferred to Satkhira Government College under Officers on Special Duty (OSD) orders—an administrative maneuver widely denounced as punitive and politically motivated.

This repressive measure followed a vitriolic ultimatum issued by Hefazat-e-Islam on May 25, 2025, which demanded Yasmin’s removal within 48 hours, accusing her of “defiling the Quran,” “demeaning Islam,” and disseminating “blasphemous” rhetoric.

The government’s swift acquiescence to these incendiary allegations—none of which have been legally scrutinized—has laid bare its capitulation to populist clerical demagoguery and its tenuous commitment to fundamental freedoms.

Yasmin, a formidable scholar and editor of the women’s rights publication Hissa (Rights), has long endured menacing threats—both corporeal and virtual—for articulating the need to overhaul gender-discriminatory inheritance laws.

Her position is intellectually defensible, legally sound, and ethically compelling.

Yet, instead of shielding her from orchestrated persecution, the state has ejected her from academic post, choosing appeasement over principle.

“The transfer order is a coercive maneuver disguised as bureaucracy,” Yasmin declared.

“I have been dispatched to Satkhira—a district notoriously infiltrated by Jamaat-Shibir operatives—not to fill a vacancy, but to be sequestered and silenced. This is not an administrative decision; it is a brazen act of political intimidation.”

Her detractors allege that Hissa portrayed Islamic inheritance provisions as “archaic” and “inequitable,” while criticizing the continued relevance of 1,500-year-old laws in a modern, pluralistic society.

The magazine also reportedly questioned the sanctity of gendered marital expectations and challenged the clerical monopoly over women’s bodily autonomy.

These are not criminal acts; they are philosophical inquiries—well within the parameters of constitutional free expression, said a senior Professor of Chittagong University seeking anonymity.

Instead of confronting these ideas through dialectical engagement, religious hardliners have resorted to threats, distortions, and mob agitation—tactics that the state has not only tolerated but legitimized through its actions.

By enabling such ideological coercion, the government has created a perilous precedent: that public discourse in Bangladesh is not governed by law, reason, or evidence, but by the loudest and most intolerant faction.

What is particularly insidious is that Yasmin’s beliefs align with the official recommendations of the Women’s Rights Reform Commission.

Her detractors, in their sanctimonious fervor, have conflated her with an entire reform movement, launching a vituperative campaign against her Nari Angon initiative and labeling it a “hub of anti-Islamic propaganda.”

Yet Yasmin remains unrepentant. “We operate with respect for religion, society, and temporality,” she said.

“What occurred was not a conflict of ideologies but a catastrophic breakdown in dialogue. Those orchestrating this campaign never sought clarity—they sought condemnation.”

“The interim government has abdicated its constitutional mandate to safeguard the liberties of its citizens. It has forfeited its moral legitimacy to zealots and demagogues. In doing so, it has broadcast a chilling decree to every educator, intellectual, reformist, and dissenter: that any deviation from prescribed orthodoxy shall be met not with dialogue, but with vilification, suppression, and punitive transfer,” said another senior academic from Dhaka, requesting anonymity out of fear of reprisal.

Fourth Pillar of Democracy at Perils

 Fourth Pillar of Democracy at Perils in Bangladesh!

Nidhu Bhusan Das

Journalists worth the salt appear to be an endangered species in Bangladesh.The country has a heritage of crusading journalism in Ittefaq,a Bengali newspaper under the editorship of lateTofazzal Hossain(Manik Mia).Those days are gone by.Today Freedom of the Press is,robably,a deceptive phrase for those who worship the fourth pillar of democracy.

Bangladesh fires veteran journalist over Hindu leader’s death,reported The Chittagong Hill Tracts of   April 24, 2025.

A veteran journalist with over two decades of experience at one of Bangladesh’s most prominent English-language newspapers has been abruptly terminated following his reporting on the alleged abduction and death of a Hindu community leader—a development that has since triggered diplomatic tensions between Bangladesh and India.

Kongkon Karmaker, who had served as The Daily Star’s Dinajpur correspondent since 2006, was informed of his dismissal via email and WhatsApp on April 21.

The message, according to Karmaker, came without prior notice, explanation, or internal review.

The incident has raised serious concerns over press freedom, editorial accountability, and the precarious state of minority rights in Bangladesh.

On April 17, Bhabesh Chandra Roy, a 55-year-old local leader affiliated with the Puja Udjapan Parishad, was reportedly abducted from his home in Biral upazila.

He was later found dead.

Karmaker’s report on the case, published by The Daily Star on April 18, was soon cited by multiple Indian media outlets.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs reacted sharply on April 19, calling Roy’s death “part of a troubling pattern of persecution” against religious minorities in Bangladesh.

The diplomatic statement added fuel to a politically sensitive fire, prompting a quick denial from Dhaka.

On the same day, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam publicly rejected India’s statement.

A retraction of the original article from The Daily Star’s website on April 20 followed, expressing their regret over the publication.

Just one day later, Karmaker’s employment was terminated.

“I submitted the report through all formal channels—email, Liberty (the paper’s internal system), and even our Facebook group,” Karmaker told this reporter.

“I received no call for verification, no follow-up from the editorial desk.

Then, five days later, they started asking for details—after the backlash.”

After submission, Karmaker noted that he saw a message from Star Online In-Charge Rashidul Hassan tagging a sub-editor saying: “Need to handle with care, pls.” That note helped decide that the news would not go online without Karmaker’s consent.

“But I never got a single call that day,” he added.

“Publishing or dropping a story/news is not my decision; the office is responsible. Why am I being made the scapegoat?”

Karmaker says the decision to retract or publish a report is not the responsibility of a field correspondent.

“I followed protocol. The editorial team approved and published the story. Why was I singled out?”

The Daily Star has not publicly addressed the dismissal.

Karmaker, a lifelong resident of Dinajpur, has long been recognized for his courageous journalism under successive governments.

From covering attacks on religious minorities to documenting the struggles of marginalized communities, his reporting has often drawn the ire of political and extremist groups.

In September 2024, his widely read report on a protest victim of July-August movement forced to sell his newborn daughter for medical treatment made national headlines and placed pressure on local authorities.

Now, following his dismissal, Karmaker says he is facing threats from political actors, extremist groups, and affiliates of recent protest movements. “I fear for my life and the safety of my family,” he said.

“When contacted, Ziaul Haq Swapan, Executive Editor of The Daily Star, said, “I cannot provide any official statement regarding Kongkon’s termination.”

Press freedom groups and international human rights organizations have expressed alarm over the case, viewing it as emblematic of a broader deterioration in journalistic independence in Bangladesh.

“This is not just an employment matter—it’s a question of editorial integrity and institutional courage,” said one international media watchdog, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.

The Daily Star’s abrupt dismissal of Karmaker has drawn sharp criticism from fellow journalists and media organizations, who point to his decades of service and consistent record of credible, high-impact reporting.

Karmaker’s dismissal comes at a time when global attention is increasingly focused on press freedom in South Asia.

Karmaker’s forced termination reveals the precarious reality faced by journalists in high-risk environments, particularly those from minority backgrounds covering sensitive community issues.