Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Haque on Saturday said filing cases against journalists under Section 57 of the Information Communication Technology (ICT) Act will require his prior permission.
The IGP said if an allegation is raised against a journalist, the concerned Police Station must inform him and refer the case statement to him.
After seeing the case statement, if he permits filing a case, then only police can lodge the case, otherwise not.
AKM Shahidul Huque came up with the remark during a views-exchange meeting with members of the Chandpur Press Club at the club’s auditorium.
Press Club President Sharif Chowdhury chaired the meeting while DIG Chittagong Range Dr S M Moniruzzaman, DIG Police Headquarters (Admin & Discipline) Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, journalists Iqram Chowdhury, Golam Kibria Jiban, Shah Md Maksud, Rahim Badsha, Rokonuzzaman, B M Hannan, Press Club General Secretary G M Shahin, Iqbal Patwary, Sohel Rushdie, among others, took part in the nmeeting.Source:UNB
Replying to journalists’ queries about the application of Section 57 of ICT Act, the IGP said he had already ordered all DIGs asking them not to file any case against any journalist in the country without his prior permission.
The police chief also said he received such case statements from 20 to 22 districts for his permission since passing the directive, and he rejected them all except one, that he deemed appropriate as it was a very sensitive matter.
The IGP has also appreciated the journalists of Chandpur district for writing objective reports about the problems and prospects of the district and about its people in the newspapers.
Journalists and police should have a good understanding and they should work ‘in unison with each other’ for the people and the society, said Shahidul.
“During my tenure, I have brought many reforms in police sector and for those changes I am accountable.”