OCAB president prevented from travelling to China

Nazrul Islam Mithu, president of the Overseas Correspondents Association Bangladesh (OCAB).

Dhaka, May 3 — The president of the Overseas Correspondents Association Bangladesh, Nazrul Islam Mithu, has disclosed he was prevented from boarding a flight to China at the airport's immigration area on Sunday for no valid reason, that he said amounts to a violation of his fundamental right to freedom of movement and contravenes Article 13 of the International Human Rights Declaration.

In a Facebook post Sunday, incidentally Press Freedom Day, Mithu declared “Press Freedom Day, minus the freedom!”

Mithu shared his frustrating and harrowing experience at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport after he was barred from travelling to China on Sunday afternoon.

Mithu wrote that he was among passengers scheduled to travel to China on Sunday after collecting his boarding pass when a uniformed officer called him by name near an immigration counter.

He said he was asked to hand over his passport and boarding pass and was taken to the office of an immigration head, a Superintendent of Police (SP), where he was questioned about his profession and workplace.

“I represent the German News Agency, dpa, in Dhaka,” Mithu said he told the officer, adding that he was also asked whether he was the president of any organisation.

He said several intelligence officials later questioned him about his role as president of OCAB, and whether he was implicated in any case, to which he replied in the negative.

According to Mithu, the SP later told him that police had found nothing against him but that he would need clearance from other “agencies.”

After waiting for nearly an hour, he was informed that he might not be allowed to travel, although no specific reason was given.

Mithu said his passport was eventually returned, his luggage was offloaded, and he was escorted out of the airport.

He noted with irony that the incident occurred as World Press Freedom Day was being observed globally, with calls for greater protection of journalists. - UNB