BB ban on journalists tantamount to taking away media freedom
Staff Correspondent
The Newspaper Owners' Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) and the Editors' Council have said the Bangladesh Bank's (BB) unofficial ban on journalists' entry into its headquarters is tantamount to taking away the freedom of the media.
In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, NOAB and Editors' Council considered the ban to be against independent journalism, democracy, and fundamental and constitutional rights.
Both the association and the council demanded to ensure free access for journalists as soon as possible.
The statement cited Bangladesh Bank spokesperson Mezbaul Haque who told the media that journalists would only be able to visit the spokesperson using a specific permit issued by the central bank.
He said journalists would also be able to visit other officials if they issued them permits. “However, they [journalists] will no longer be able to freely enter any department of the central bank as before,” Mezbaul said.
The step mentioned in the speech of the central bank spokesperson denotes an undeclared ban on the entry of journalists, said NOAB and Editors' Council.
