Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, member of BNP's Standing Committee, commented that in Bangladesh a special group of journalists has been created with state patronage.

He made these remarks as the chief guest at an Iftar gathering organized by the Chattogram Metropolitan Journalists Union (CMJU) at the Maritime Museum Café on Naval Avenue in Chattogram on Friday evening (29 March).

Amir Khasru stated, "The way the state of Bangladesh is functioning, and its components are operating, journalism is not in a good position. A special group of journalists has been created here, whose journalism is directed by government and state patronage."

He further added, "Those who operate under state patronage cannot practice journalism. Journalists need to be watchdogs. Now, they have become lapdogs or pets instead of watchdogs in Bangladesh."

The BNP leader mentioned, "A significant conspiracy is underway against those who dare to speak and write. The journalist organizations and media trying to voice their opinions are now under tremendous pressure. The journalists who are still standing against the fascist regime, especially those present here, are trying hard. Many journalists centrally in Dhaka are also making efforts. They are overcoming numerous obstacles and continuing with courage."

He further stated, "Previously, we used to hear that during Indira Gandhi's emergency in India, journalists were asked by the government to speak in favor of the government, albeit with a slight bend. But those overly enthusiastic journalists were crawling. The government had said to bend a bit and write in our favor, but those journalists went to the extent of crawling. The Bangladesh government has asked to crawl, and they have prostrated themselves in Sejda (prostration). This is the current state of journalism in Bangladesh."

Amir Khasru mentioned, "Apart from the journalists who are beneficiaries of the Awami League, the ordinary journalists in Bangladesh want to be free. They are looking for a way to liberation. If they cannot become free now, there will be nothing called journalism in Bangladesh in the future. The very existence of journalism as a profession will be forgotten."

Highlighting that the responsibility of restoring democracy is not solely on BNP, he said, "It is not only BNP's responsibility to face disappearance, murder, death, job loss, and business loss. Journalists have a responsibility, professionals have a responsibility, people from all walks of life have a responsibility today. The 95% of people who did not go to the polling stations have fulfilled their responsibility. They have responded to the call of BNP and the opposition, they have spoken, they have spoken from their homes."

The event was chaired by CMJU President Mohammad Shahjahan and conducted by General Secretary Saleh Noman. Special guests included Ruhul Amin Gazi, President of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), and Kader Gani Chowdhury, Secretary-General of BFUJ.

Other attendees included Abul Hashem Bakkar, Member Secretary of Chattogram Metropolitan BNP; Nurul Amin, General Secretary of Metropolitan Jamaat-e-Islami; former CMJU Presidents Iskandar Ali Chowdhury and Shamsul Haque Haidari; M Shamsul Islam, General Secretary of Chattogram Journalists Union; Mohsin Kazi, Joint Secretary-General of BFUJ; Advocate Nazim Uddin Chowdhury, President of the District Lawyers Association; Advocate Kapil Uddin Chowdhury; Journalist Zahidul Karim Kochi, President of the United Professional Council; Dr. Khurshid Jamil Chowdhury, General Secretary; former President of the Chittagong University Teachers' Association Professor Dr. Nasrul Kadir; Engineer Jane Alam Selim, President of the Association of Engineers Bangladesh (AEB); Nurul Amin and Engineer Belayet Hossain, Joint Conveners of North Chattogram District BNP; former leader of South District BNP Professor Sheikh Mohiuddin, and Ali Abbas among others.