Nobody is above law and the journalists are no exception to it. Journalists are not aliens or, for that matter, any special creatures from an unknown world who can escape the long arm of law.
Motiur Rahman’s responsibility is much bigger than that of his correspondent. A correspondent may collect news, but it is the editor who has the real responsibility to publish it or not. Editor’s decision is final in printing a news.
So, Motiur Rahman, Editor of the Prothom Alo, cannot deny his responsiblity and law should take its own course. Maligning our independence, which is earned through an ocean of blood of the Martyrs of the country, is not an ordinary crime. It is a crime against the country; it is a crime against the people and our nation. This sort of unholy move must be dealt with iron hand so that nobody can dare do it again. That means there must be an exemplary punishment for such kind of offence.
Journalists have to maintain strictly the ethos and ethics of journalism. They should always keep in mind that they must know their limitations. News is always true and anything false, fabricated and concocted is not news. Resorting to Falsehood and fabrication in making news is a crime and such criminals must be brought to book. Creating hindrance to legal process in this regard is not lawful and none should do it.
The journalists can’t be a party to a crime committed by an individual. It is wrongly claimed that the journalists should not be arrested. If any person of any group and profession get that privilege of impunity on the excuse that permission from the higher authority is needed before arresting a journalist, then the profession will lose its prestige and image and with such indulgence journalists will be reckless.
Journalism is a risky job and knowing this fully well the people are increasingly coming to take up the profession. According to CPJ report, in 2020 a record number of journalists were imprisoned globally for their work. And what are they doing? Do they quit profession? Or do they bring out procession claiming that they have the right not to be arrested?.
It is absolutely a funny idea that the journalists should enjoy special privilege. There are quite a number of examples that several presidents of different countries were arrested and brought to legal process, so, why the journalists in Bangladesh would get special treatment after committing a crime.