Photo : BSS

KHULNA, Nov 20, 2025 (BSS) - BNP assistant secretary for student affairs Rokibul Islam Bokul has said that freedom of expression was absent during the past regime.

Speaking at a charge handover ceremony of the newly elected Metropolitan Union of Journalists (MUJ) at Khulna Press Club on Wednesday night, he said, journalists had no freedom of expression during the past "fascist regime" and many faced attacks, lawsuits and harassment for publishing accurate information.

Bokul said constructive journalism helps identify political mistakes, saying that strong leadership was needed to protect journalists' rights. 

He expressed hope that the new MUJ leadership would restore the professional rights of Khulna's journalists and overcome longstanding stagnation.

Unity among journalists, he said, with Islamic values and nationalist ideology contributed to the anti-fascist movement. He also assured full support for journalists in any crisis.

Newly elected MUJ president Md Rashidul Islam presided over the event, conducted by joint secretary Ashraful Islam Nur. 

Among others, former BFUJ executive member H M Alauddin, Khulna Press Club convener Enamul Haque and member secretary Rafiul Islam Tutul, MUJ member Mizanur Rahman Milton, newly elected general secretary Abdur Razzaq Rana, outgoing acting general secretary Abul Hasan Himalay, vice president Md Nuruzzaman, spoke on the occasion.