Dhaka University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) on Friday has criticised the Dhaka-based newspaper Prothom Alo's news which was published on March 26, and termed the report as “ill-motivated” and ‘conspiracies against the state.”
The organisation came down heavily on Bangla daily Prothom Alo, in a statement released on Friday, saying that they are deeply concerned with a newspaper’s conspiracies against the state and urged the government to take necessary steps against those involved with the news.
DUTA president Professor Md. Nizamul Haque Bhuiyan, and secretary secretary general profesor Dr. Zeenat Huda signed the statement.
"The report used a picture of a child with the quote of a day labourer satirising the independence of the country.
Furthermore, according to an investigative report published in another media, the picture of a child was taken in exchange for money taking advantage of his poverty," reads the statement. "It is against the policy of a newspaper taking pictures of minors or recording their statements without the permission or presence of the guardian. Deliberately using misleading pictures and statements is akin to deceiving the reader. However, it appears that all these norms have been deliberately ignored in publishing the news in question," it added.
"Some circles including certain international media are promoting that the government is taking oppressive measures against the media for publishing the news of increase in commodity prices. However, the reality is that action has been taken against those concerned for using a child as a news material by providing incentives for dishonest purposes," it explained.
Urging all not to be confused by such news, the association said, "At a time when news of the turnaround of the economy of Bangladesh in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic and Ukraine war is being circulated in the international media, the attempt to fail the state in the name of opposing the government in a national daily of the country cannot be accepted in any way."
A case was filed against the daily Prothom Alo Editor and Publisher Matiur Rahman under the Digital Security Act (DSA) early Thursday.
Prothom Alo reporter Samsuzzaman Shams, an unnamed assistant cameraman, and unnamed others were also accused in the case filed with Ramna police station at 2am on Thursday over an article published on March 26, according to media reports.