Staff Correspondent

The Law Reporters Forum (LRF), an organization of journalists on law, justice and parliamentary affairs, on Wednesday has demanded the immediate withdrawal of the decision to block journalists' access to the courtrooms of various benches of the High Court Division, including the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. Otherwise, a united program will be announced to enter the courtroom along with organizations related to the interests of journalists.

Leaders of various organizations of journalists, including the President of the Editors' Council, were present at the sit-in program.

The speakers said that since January 7, journalists have been denied access to various courtrooms of the Appellate Division and the High Court Division of the Supreme Court. As a result, journalists are facing professional obstacles in directly observing the proceedings of pending cases and reliably gathering news. The lack of opportunity to directly observe court proceedings has also brought into question the transparency of the judicial process, open judiciary and the public's right to information.

Under the chairmanship of Law Reporters Forum President Muhammad Yasin and moderated by General Secretary Arafat Munna, the speakers included Editors Council President and New Age Editor Nurul Kabir, former Law Reporters Forum President and Ittefaq Executive Secretary Saleh Uddin, Dhaka Journalists Union President Shahidul Islam, Dhaka Reporters Union President Abu Saleh Akon, former DRU President and RTV Head of News Ilias Hossain, Bangladesh Crime Reporters Association General Secretary M M Badshah, Reporters Against Corruption President Shafi Uddin Ahmed, Reporters Forum for Election and Democracy President Kazi Jebel, former Law Reporters Forum President M Badi Uz-Zaman, Ashutosh Sarkar, and Shamima Akhter Prosukh.

Editors' Council President Nurul Kabir said., after a bloody mass uprising, there was an expectation of establishing democracy, democratic rights and justice in society. At that time, the people were supposed to be informed about the court's activities through the media. However, the highest level leadership of the judiciary is depriving the people of the right to know information.

Nurul Kabir said, conducting trials in open courts is a constitutional obligation of Bangladesh. If the judiciary, which is entrusted with the responsibility of protecting the rights granted by the Constitution, violates the people's right to information, it is very sad, unfortunate and shameful.

Dhaka Journalists Union President Shahidul Islam said, when people are deprived of their rights and are victims of injustice, they go to the court as the last place of trust. But when the court itself deprives people of their rights, where will people go? He said, if rights are not established through today's peaceful program, journalists will be forced to take to the streets.

Abu Saleh Akon, president of Dhaka Reporters Unity, said, "What is there to prevent journalists from entering the court that the nation will not know about? The Chief Justice must answer this question. Such a ban creates suspicion among people.

LRF President Muhammad Yasin said that although the demand for journalists to be allowed to enter the courtroom has been raised for a long time, no effective action has been taken.

Also present at the sit-in program were LRF SABKE President Sayeed Ahmed Khan, Wakli Ahmed Harin, Mashhudul Haque, SABKE General Secretary Abdur Rahman, Habbiur Rahman, Monriuzzaman Mashin, Sonyi members Shankar Matroy, Sajdul Haque, current executive committee vice-president Abu Sale Roni, joint secretary Tanvir Ahmed, finance secretary Manjur Hossain, organizing secretary Ahmed Al Amin, office secretary Mahmudul Alam, publicity and publication secretary Zahidul Bashar, training and welfare secretary Jannatul Ferdousi Manu, executive members Asadur Rahman, Ilias Sarkar, SM Noor Mohammad, Rezaul Karim, senior members Shankar Moitra and Sajedul Haque,

Organizations that expressed solidarity: More than two hundred journalists from various organizations, including the Editors' Council, DUJ DRU Bangladesh Crime Reporters Association (CRAB), Reporters Against Corruption (RAC), and Reporters Forum for Election and Democracy (RFED), participated in this program of the Law Reporters Forum in solidarity.