Journalists’ associations will demonstrate across the country on Thursday, demanding that the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit stop summoning the bank details of 11 senior journalists.
Various associations of journalists made the announcement yesterday during a rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club.
Addressing the rally, Jatiya Press Club President Farida Yasmin said: “The Minister of Information and the Minister of Interior are not aware of the summoning of bank details. There is a plot to pit journalists against the government.
An investigation can be launched against an individual or an organization on specific allegations. But the wholesale investigation targeting key leaders of established associations appears to be deliberate, she said.
The rally was organized by the Jatiya Press Club, the Federal Union of Journalists of Bangladesh (BFUJ) and the Union of Journalists of Dhaka.
BFUJ chairman Molla Jalal said the Financial Intelligence Unit’s decision was unprecedented. “We want an explanation from the government.”
Other speakers said the move targeted particular organizations and demanded that the bank details of government officials be published as well.
Many journalists have lost their jobs while others are not getting paid regularly amid the pandemic, they said, adding that such a move would create an unhealthy and alarming environment for journalists.
On September 12, the Financial Intelligence Unit sent letters to all banks requesting details of bank accounts belonging to 11 journalists who run different journalists’ associations.
