Paris, Sep 23 — A leading international human rights organisation strongly condemned the implication of Bangladeshi journalist and human rights defender Russell Rana in what it described as a “fabricated murder” case, warning that the move poses a serious threat to press freedom, human rights advocacy and the rule of law in the South Asian nation.
The remarks came after a recent clash between two groups over the possession of government-allotted land in the Badalgachhi area of Bangladesh’s Naogaon district left one person dead and several others injured. Following the incident, the deceased’s younger brother filed a murder case against 15 people with Badalgachhi Police Station.
Russell Rana, the Naogaon district correspondent for Times Today and Daily National Economy, was named as the 15th accused in the murder case despite his claim that he was not present at the scene of the clash, Bangladeshi media reported.
Citing information, the Justice Makers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) said that Russell Rana was not present at the scene of the clash, and his residence is approximately 15 kilometres away from the place of occurrence. It alleged that he was deliberately implicated in the murder case because of his previous journalistic reporting concerning Al Emran, a leader of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Chairman of Balubhara Union Parishad.
Calling the circumstances "extremely disturbing", the rights body said, "The complainant’s reported statement that he does not even know Russell Rana, together with Russell Rana’s assertion that he was not present at the scene, raises fundamental questions about how, and on whose information, his name was inserted into such a serious criminal case.”
JMBF sharply criticised the “use of fabricated criminal proceedings as a means of intimidating, harassing, silencing, or retaliating against journalists and human rights defenders for carrying out their legitimate professional and human rights activities.”
The rights body called on the Bangladeshi authorities to immediately withdraw the "fabricated" allegations against Russell Rana and remove his name from the murder case. It also urged the authorities to ensure that he is protected from arrest, detention, harassment, intimidation, and retaliation, while establishing an independent investigation into how, and at whose instruction, his name was included in the case.
“The investigation must also determine whether Russell Rana’s implication was connected to his previous journalistic reporting or human rights activities and whether any public official, politically influential individual, or other person improperly influenced the preparation or filing of the case,” the JMBF added.