BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday alleged that the media are now sacred of disseminating authentic information to avoid government’s possible wraths.

In a statement, he called upon journalists to get united and work together for the sake of protecting press freedom and ‘restoration’ of democracy, UNB reports.

The statement was issued marking the shutdown of all newspapers except state-run four ones on 16 June 1975.

“The 16 June 1975 is a sad and stigmatised day in Bangladesh history as the then one-party Baksal government had closed all the newspapers, except four loyal to it, in Nazi style,” he said.

The BNP leader also called the day as ‘Black Day for Press Freedom’ in Bangladesh.

Fakhrul said their party founder Ziaur Rahman later restored the freedom of press by introducing multiparty democracy.

“But it’s a matter of great regret that the present Awami League-led Grand Alliance government has revived Baksal and continued its repressive acts against newspapers and journalists,” he observed.

The BNP leader alleged that the government has gagged the press and the freedom of expression by enacting various black laws.

“All the media in the country are now afraid of publishing thinking about the government’s possible wraths,” he added.