Ripon Marma, Kaptai:
The restoration of Bangladesh's independence was achieved through the blood of the students and the masses who were martyred and injured in the mass uprising in July-August. In their memory (February 16), a discussion meeting organized by Kaptai Upazila professional journalists at the Kaptai Upazila meeting hall at noon began with recitation of the Quran, reading of the Tripitaka, reading of the Bible, observing a minute of silence and offering prayers in memory of the martyrs and injured, and other formalities. The discussion meeting, moderated by Vijay Marma, was addressed by Rabiul Hossain Chowdhury Ripon.
The event was presided over by Somoy TV Kaptai correspondent Mahfuz Alam, and was attended by senior journalist network coordinator, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) general secretary Aliur Rahman of Chittagong Reporters Forum, and special guests included Dr. Rahmat Ullah, Chittagong Press Club member senior journalist Eyakub Ali Moni, Rangunia Press Club president Ilias Talukder, Press Club general secretary Nurul Absar Chowdhury, Kaptai Upazila BNP senior vice-president Zafar Ahmed Swapan, Upazila BNP vice-president Harun Or Rashid Ratan, Upazila BNP general secretary Yasin Mamun, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islam Chandraghona Union branch Ameer Lokman Hossain, Wagga Union BNP president Anwar Hossain, senior journalist Shanti Ranjan Chakma, Upazila Jubo Dal member secretary Ibrahim Habib Milu, Upazila Sechchhasebak Dal convener Rafiqul Islam, Upazila Chhatra Dal convener Sekendar Ali Russell, Upazila Chhatra Dal member secretary Md. Ibrahim, Karnaphuli Government College Student Party Convener Abdul Al Mamun (APU), Kaptai Sweden Polytechnic Institute Anti-Discrimination Movement Injured Student Wahidul Islam, Karnaphuli Government College Student Party Member Secretary Riaz Uddin Akash, 71 TV Kaptai Upazila Correspondent Ripon Marma, Daily Dinkal Journalist Shahidul Islam, Md. Joynal Abedin, etc. In the discussion meeting, media workers, student representatives and civil society speakers said that in order to maintain this achievement of July-August, where there is inconsistency, there is a great need to reform. The importance of everyone's well-thought-out opinions on the social, political, journalism environment and the current context of Kaptai was emphasized. The meeting said that steps must be taken to counter the dominance of Awami League fascists in Kaptai's journalism, because if we are not aware now, the influence of fascists will spread further in the future. We must be careful of all those evil forces. The restoration of this achieved freedom cannot be allowed to be trampled under anyone's feet. The speakers also said that everyone must work sincerely to protect the society, environment, people and country.
After July-August, with the support of the Awami fascist government, some bureaucrats of Kaptai secretly informed various offices of Kaptai Upazila through secret letters about Awami journalism and organized Awami journalists in the name of forming a press club. The journalists have the evidence of this. Which is a very shameful incident. The proof of which is in a letter nominated and signed by some bureaucrats of Kaptai Upazila administration. In it, the power of Kaptai journalists was abused in violation of the constitution of the Press Club. In addition, voting was also held at night in Kaptai. Those who deprived the people of exercising their right to vote should be identified and brought under the law. Therefore, the leaders sought the cooperation of the Kaptai Upazila administration saying that it is very important to restructure the Kaptai Press Club through reforms. The speakers also said, we want the Upazila administration and Kaptai professionalism to be the center of attraction for the people. We need everyone's cooperation so that journalists can practice journalism independently. It is the moral responsibility of everyone to protect the freedom gained in the July-August mass uprising. Otherwise, the speakers believe that if it is disrupted, it will be a huge obstacle to the establishment of good governance. The last speakers demanded that we can say that in the future the Upazila administration and Kaptai Press Club will be free from the fascist Awami League party. Everyone's cooperation is absolutely necessary in this regard.
