Staff Reporter: On September 10, Wednesday, the body of a young man was recovered from a flat on Atomic Energy Road No. 5, Duaripara, Mirpur, Dhaka. Senior reporter of the national daily *Matrigagat* newspaper and *Matrigagat TV*, S. M. Rafique, immediately informed the Rupnagar Police Station about the incident.
Based on the information he provided, the police swiftly recovered the body and sent it to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital.
However, in a shocking and condemnable turn of events, some local individuals present at the scene hurled abusive language at journalist S. M. Rafique and issued death threats against him. Even more inhumanly, he later received threats over the phone, warning that if an autopsy was conducted on the body, he would be killed before it could take place.
Such threats and psychological harassment against journalists are deeply alarming for press freedom, the dissemination of truth, and the foundation of democracy. This incident clearly proves that certain antisocial elements are using brutal methods to obstruct the work of news gathering and reporting, which can never be tolerated.
Founder President of the Bangladesh Central Press Club (B.C.P.C.), Khan Selim Rahman, strongly condemned and protested the incident. He stated:
“Death threats against journalists are utterly unacceptable. We demand that those responsible for such acts be swiftly brought under the rule of law and given exemplary punishment. It is essential for the state to take strict measures to ensure press freedom and the safety of journalists.”
Founder General Secretary of the Bangladesh Central Press Club (B.C.P.C.), Md. Mahidul Hasan Sarkar, said:
“The death threat against journalist S. M. Rafique is extremely condemnable and disgraceful. This is not only a threat to an individual journalist but also a criminal attack on the freedom of the entire media. We urge the state and authorities to identify those issuing such threats, bring them under the law without delay, and ensure exemplary punishment. Protecting press freedom and establishing justice in society requires timely and decisive action.”
Some questions must be asked:
1. What crime has journalist S. M. Rafique committed?
2. Is providing the police with factual information a crime?
3. Is publishing the truth a crime?
Call to fellow journalists, colleagues, brothers, sisters, and friends:
1. Continue to wield your pens in favor of truth, collect news, and publish it.
2. Raise your voices in protest from your own positions.
3. If you are afraid, you may remain silent, but remember—silence in the long run will ultimately become your own burden to bear.
