Fascist rulers around the world have identified the media as one of their primary opponents in implementing their ideology. They have controlled the media through repressive laws, suppressed freedom of speech and thought, and subjected journalists to brutal torture. In many cases, they have forced journalists into exile. On the other hand, they have created their own media outlets and propagandist journalists, providing them with various state-sponsored support. In exchange, these media outlets and journalists have tried to legitimize all kinds of injustices, atrocities, and oppression by the fascist rulers.
On the other hand, those who stood for justice have opposed the fascist regime at the risk of their lives. We have witnessed this trend during Sheikh Hasina’s regime as well. A group of exiled journalists played a significant role in the student and public uprising. These people, who left their homes and families to live in foreign lands, continued to protest against the oppressive regime. They used social media to expose the crimes, corruption, disappearances, murders, and oppression of the government and its party members with evidence. Some of them played a major role in publishing news in influential international media.
Individuals based in various European countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Sweden, and Canada, played a significant role in providing different kinds of support to pro-democracy movements. Mushfiq-ul Fazal Ansari was a prominent face as a diplomatic reporter for various media outlets, including Daily Ittefaq and UNB. Julkarnain Sayer Khan Sami was a renowned investigative journalist and human rights activist for the global media outlet Al Jazeera. Tasneem Khalil is the editor-in-chief of the Sweden-based media outlet Netra News. Pinaki Bhattacharya is a Bangladeshi human rights activist living in exile in France.
Despite being a medical professional, he has always been actively involved in human rights issues. As a result, he had to leave the country. While abroad, he became a voice for freedom-loving people. Besides severely criticizing the government’s various corruption and factionalism, he presented analytical opinions on YouTube. Pinaki, the son of a popular and widely-known teacher, hails from a village in the Bogura district of Bangladesh. Journalist Jawad Nirjhor, living in exile in London, has always been in the spotlight by exposing the irregularities of the muted media, opportunistic journalists, and the government’s corruption and exploitation. Numerous cases have been filed against him in various police stations across the country by those who benefit from the government.
A rural home was attacked, and the parents were assaulted. Mustafa Firoz, a well-known face in the local media, is involved in this incident. He was forced to leave the country due to the wrath of the authoritarian government. Whenever he faced threats in the country, he would go abroad. He worked from Singapore and Malaysia. From there, this journalist regularly wrote about the various injustices and irregularities of the government. Mustafa Firoz regularly uploaded critical videos on Facebook and YouTube. He also highlighted human rights violations in the country to the international community.
Ilyas Hossain, once a popular investigative journalist, migrated to the United States due to the wrath of the government. There are many cases against him in various police stations in the country. However, even while residing abroad, Ilyas Hossain published various fact-based news on his Facebook ID and YouTube channel. He created a stir in the country’s media by publishing several investigative reports. Shahed Alam, a popular face in television journalism, left the country for the United States due to the wrath of the government. Even while living there, he was vocal about the various irregularities of the government. Their contributions to the student-youth’s revolutionary uprising cannot be forgotten.
