Charlotte Jacquemart, senior editor of the Swiss Public Radio in Switzerland, called for the withdrawal of all cases against the journalists and their release.
On Friday (October 18), She made this call to the American media The Voice.
This Swiss journalist said, I admire Dr. Muhammad Yunus for his lifelong fight against poverty. Interviewed him twice during my career. When he was criticized at home, my writings in the world protested him, supported him. But even then my blood ran cold when I came to know that dozens of journalists were booked for murder soon after Dr. Muhammad Yunus was appointed. Some of my dear journalist friends have even been sent to jail.
In the last 50 years, Bangladeshi journalists have always had to walk a tough path because there was always danger from one side. But walking the hard line doesn't make journalists fascists and it never justifies throwing them in jail and calling them 'murderers'. As happened to my friends Farzana Rupa and Shakeel Ahmed and many others.
She added, "Unfortunately, throughout history, female journalists have always been good scapegoats." It is much easier to blame the killing of the students killed in the protest on the innocent journalists than on the police. Freedom of the press is guaranteed under Article 39 of Bangladesh's constitution, so far more than 100 journalists have been charged with incitement to murder for the killings that took place between early July and mid-August.
He said that if Bangladesh really wants to open a new chapter, to be recognized as a modern democracy, then the country has to work on one principle which means, protection of basic human rights, protection of freedom of press, guarantee of freedom of speech. The most important thing is to make every citizen of the country feel safe. Not just those who are in power now.
Bangladesh has to prove to the world that they are really going to change a page of history. If it succeeds, it will gain fame and respect. Then investment will come from NGOs and governments around the world.