Bangladeshi authorities must immediately stop harassing and intimidating the family members of exiled blogger Asad Noor and other human rights defenders, Amnesty International said today. The work of people defending human rights in Bangladesh has become increasingly challenging. In recent years, many bloggers and human rights defenders have fled from persecution at home and sought…
Author: VOICE
Rights and advocacy organisation Voice had expressed deep concern over the arrest of journalists, online activists, teachers, students, writers, and cartoonists, among others, under Digital Security Act 2018, and urged to scrap the law. In a press release on Saturday, the Dhaka-based organisation urged the government to show respect to the constitutional obligations, international human…
The World Press Freedom Day is being observed in Bangladesh and elsewhere in the world today amid the coronavirus pandemic. In 1993, the United Nations General Assembly declared 3 May a World Press Freedom Day to increase consciousness of the value of freedom of the press and to inform governments of their responsibility to protect…
The government imposed a countrywide lockdown from 26 March 2020 and extended for the third consecutive period until 05 May 2020 for containment of the outbreak of the coronavirus. Forum for Freedom of Expression, Bangladesh (FExB) or মুক্ত প্রাকাশ(in Bangla), a network of media rights defenders has expressed deep anguish and grave concern over the…
The attacks of coronavirus or Covid19 have already taken over the world. Arguments and fears have now arisen that this epidemic is a by-product of a dire capitalist society in which utter consumerism, environmental degradation, and culture prevail over creation for the sole profit of companies. As consumption rates increase, the more pollutants in the…
The mobile court said they had recovered drugs and alcohol from the journalist’s residence, which his family termed absurd A mobile court in the dead of night jailed Dhaka Tribune journalist Ariful Islam for a year, after law enforcement members led by magistrates picked him up from his home in Kurigram. Ariful, Kurigram district correspondent…
Speakers at a programme on Sunday called for ending all forms of violence against women and girls to ensure justice throughout the country. They also said that it is necessary to raise social awareness and change mindset towards women. The were addressing a discussion arranged by VOICE, a rights-based research advocacy and research organization based…
Social media is also a significant source for information A large number of news followers in Bangladesh rely on social media to get information, but private newspapers still remain the most trusted news source for the majority of news readers in the country, a new research has revealed. The findings of the study titled the…
A day-long training workshop was held today over ensuring physical safety, digital security and managing the high-risk environment for journalists. The training session titled ”Defending freedom of expression and ensuring safety and security of Journalists” was organized by VOICE, a rights-based organization at the Zilla Parishad Auditorium in Jamalpur. Speakers at the program expressed serious…
Authorities should drop charges and immediately release from custody leading Bangladesh publisher Nur Mohammad and Sufi singer Shariat Sarker, Human Rights Watch said today. Both appear to be detained for having criticized the ruling party, and religious leaders, respectively. The authorities should end all arbitrary arrests and a crackdown on freedom of expression under the draconian Digital Security…