The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) tagged Bangladesh as the most violent country for journalists in Asia, reported the Daily Star on March 6.
After a weeklong fact-finding visit to Bangladesh, a four-member delegation of the New York based media watchdog Friday expressed their deep concern at the security of journalists of the country, and called upon the government to take measures for speedy investigation into cases of attacks on journalists during the last several years.
The journalists of the country are working increasingly under threat, said executive director of CPJ Ann Cooper, quoting the data that at least seven journalists were killed and dozens assaulted or threatened in reprisal for discharging their professional since 1997.
She said the government should take stern action and putting the criminals under prosecution, or the cycle of violence against journalists will continue, so will the country's reputation as themost violent country in Asia for journalists.
Local journalists, who report on topics as corruption or organized crime are frequently targeted by criminal gangs or underground groups, said a statement of CPJ, adding prosecution israre, even in some high-profile cases.
Cooper said the government has assured the CPJ that it will take proper action and prosecute those involved in attacking journalists.
The CPJ put forward several recommendations including timely action to resolve some cases of attacking newsmen, and called for an end to the use of sedition or anti-state charges to detain journalists.
The CPJ delegation also observed Bangladeshi society is too much politicized and the increasing attacks on journalists could have been the reflection of that situation, adding that journalists should be dispassionate and impartial.