The aspiration to establish democracy, is not a crime, said Nurul Kabir, president of the Editors’ Council, on Saturday.

”The state, the government, attempts to silence democratic institutions through legally or by force.”

Nurul Kabir, editor of New Age, made the remarks during his opening address at the first-ever Media Convention at the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh auditorium.

Stressing the need for unity, he said unity is important for the journalists as well as collective resistance.

”Against all obstacles, we must instill in the entire society the idea that newspapers and other media institutions are not the only tools for implementing the democratic aspirations of 200, 500, or 10,000 journalists. If they are not active, if they are not able to be a loud voice, then various kinds of rights are bound to be disrupted within the entire society.”

Referring to recent attacks on The Daily Star and Prothom Alo, Nurul said violence was being carried out in the name of democracy itself.

”By attacking newspaper offices in the name of July, they are actually trying to destroy the core democratic spirit of that movement.”