Editors' Council

Editors' Council (Bengali: সম্পাদক পরিষদ) is a national organization of newspaper editors in Bangladesh that campaigns for freedom of speech and freedom of the press.^[1][2][3] Mahfuz Anam of The Daily Star and Dewan Hanif Mahmud, editor of Bonik Barta are the president and general secretary of the council.^[4][5][6]

Editors' Council

Formation	2013
Headquarters	Dhaka, Bangladesh
Region served	Bangladesh
Official language	Bengali

History

Editors' Council was established in 2013. The founding members were AMM Bahauddin (Daily Inqilab), Alamgir Mohiuddin (Daily Naya Diganta), Anwar Hossain Manju (The Daily Ittefaq), A. H. M. Moazzem Hossain (The Financial Express), Imdadul Haq Milon (Kaler Kantho), Khondoker Muniruzzaman (The Sangbad), Mahbubul Alam (The Independent), Mostafa Kamal Majumder (The New Nation), MA Malek (The Azadi), Mozammel Haque (Korotoa), Matiur Rahman (Prothom Alo), Naem Nizam (Bangladesh Pratidin), Shyamal Dutta (Bhorer Kagoj), and Taslim Uddin Chowdhury (Dainik Purbokone). Golam Sarwar (Samakal) was elected the first president, Mahfuz Anam (The Daily Star) was elected general secretary, and Matiur Rahman Chowdhury (Manab Zamin) the treasurer.^[7]

The council has campaigned against the section 32 of the Digital Security Act, which they described as an attack on freedom of speech.^[8][9] The council also protested the filling of case under the Digital Security Act against Manabzamin and its Editor-in-Chief Matiur Rahman Chowdhury by Saifuzzaman Shikhor, Member of Parliament from Magura-1.^[10]

Mahfuz Anam of The Daily Star and Naem Nizam of Bangladesh Pratidin were elected the president and general secretary of the council in September 2019.^[11] But Naem Nizam had resigned from his post in protest against what he termed the council chief Mahfuz Anam's "unethical" activities. Then Dewan Hanif Mahmud, editor of Bonik Barta and deputy general secretary of the organisation, becomes acting general secretary of the council.

In March 2022, Anam and Mahmud was again appointed as the president and the general secretary of Editors' Council.^[6]

References

1. "Editors' Council floated". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
2. "Editors' Council elects new executive body". The Independent. Dhaka. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
3. "Warrant against prominent editor: Bangladesh's Editors' Council expresses concern". ANN. Archived from the original on 21 January 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
4. "Editors' Council accepts Naem Nizam's resignation as secretary general". The Business Standard. 25 August 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
5. "Editors' Council gets new committee". New Age. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
6. Report, Star Digital (7 March 2022). "Editor's Council gets new executive committee". The Daily Star. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
7. "Editors' Council formed". The Daily Star. 26 May 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
8. "Editors' Council calls section 32 an attack on democracy". Prothom Alo. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
9. "Why Sampadak Parishad opposes the Digital Security Act". The Daily Star. 29 September 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
10. "Editors' Council demands withdrawal of case against Manabzamin editor". bangladeshpost.net. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
11. "Mahfuz Anam, Naem Nizam new president, secretary of Editors' Council". Dhaka Tribune. 16 September 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2020.