World Press Freedom Day 2013 was observed in Barisal on Friday with the theme ‘Safe to Speak: Securing Freedom of Expression in All Media’.
Participants in a rally, after a procession brought out on the occasion, highlighted issues of safety of journalists, combating impunity for crimes against freedom of expression and securing a free and open internet as the precondition for online safety.
Barisal Reporters Unity and human rights organisation Odhikar jointly arranged the programme.
The procession started at Ashwini Kumar Hall and ended at Barisal Reporters Unity where Muhammad Ali Jasim, president, Bappi Majumdar, treasurer, of BRU and Aziz Shahin, defender of Barisal unit of Odhikar.
Issues of media freedom, safety of journalists, gender equality in the media, pluralism, independence and access to information, as well as the role of the internet and
other 21st century media developments were also covered by the participants.
The journalists and rights activists said report on ‘Freedom of the Press’ showed ‘negative trends in most regions of the country’.
Marking the twentieth anniversary of the day, they called for attention to fundamental right to freedom of expression and threats to this right.
-With New Age input
