The declaration of the daily 'Jai Jai Din' has been revoked following a request from its former editor, Shafik Rehman, leading to strong protests from the newspaper’s current management and journalists.
At a press conference held at Dhaka Reporters' Unity on Wednesday, acting editor Kazi Rukunuddin Ahmed, along with the newspaper’s owners and journalists, condemned what they called an illegal takeover of the office and the unjust cancellation of its declaration.
In a written statement, Kazi Rukunuddin alleged that "a malicious group, led by Shafik Rehman, has unlawfully seized the main office and printing press, using deception to wrest control of Jai Jai Din from its current owner, Sayed Hossain Chowdhury. Despite efforts to resolve the matter amicably out of respect for Rehman, the group has continued to distort facts and manipulate legal proceedings."
He further explained that after the newspaper's Tejgaon Industrial Area office and press were taken over, Jai Jai Din continued publishing from an alternate press following proper procedures, with due notification to the DC office. However, despite this, the DC office revoked the newspaper’s declaration after receiving Rehman’s application, allegedly on baseless grounds.
Expressing concern over the situation, Kazi Rukunuddin criticized the move, stating, "The government has repeatedly stressed the importance of media freedom, yet an influential group has exploited the system to shut down a legally operating newspaper."
Declaration of 'Jai Jai Din' canceled
