Even by the standards of recent violence that has hit Bangladesh amid an enduring political crisis, the scenes at Dhaka Medical College Hospital this month have been ugly.

Over three days of violence, doctors and medical interns fought with journalists, resulting in 30 people suffering injuries. Reporters also had their cameras and vehicles damaged.

One journalist injured in the clashes, Dipu Hazra of the Bangla-language daily Samakal, said he was attacked by doctors when he asked questions about the alleged mistreatment of patients and misappropriation of funds.

In response, doctors claimed that the journalists entered the hospital without permission on three occasions in July.

“They started making trouble when we were on duty,” said a doctor who was involved in the confrontation. “There were clashes when we tried to resist them.”

The hospital's initial response was to bar the newsmen from entry and file two cases of obstruction and assault against them. Journalists filed counter suits and, at a meeting at  the National Press Club in Dhaka,  senior editors demanded compensation and punishment of the doctors they say were responsible.

The hospital director, Brigadier-general Mostafizur Rahman, then announced compensation for the journalists and a lifting of the ban on access.

This incident comes amid increasing concern that Bangladeshi authorities are flouting the Right to Information Law, passed in 2009, which states that “every citizen shall have the right to information from the authorities, and the authorities shall, on demand from citizens, be bound to provide them with the information.”

As an example of its disregard, the state-run Anti-Corruption Commission announced that no journalist would have access to information unless it was  requested formally. It was forced to retract this after a hail of criticism in the press and appeals from journalist unions.

Kohinoor Islam, of the Information Commission of Bangladesh, admitted that the Right to Information Law had not proved greatly effective, but stressed that the lawmakers were on the media's side.

“If we get complaints that any individual or institution declined to give information, we will take stern action,” he said.

He conceded that cases of torture, kidnapping, murder and false charges against journalists remain a serious problem, and the alarming figures about their safety are perhaps an even greater concern.

In the past five years, Dhaka-based rights group Ain-O-Salish Kendra says eight journalists have been murdered, a further three have disappeared, 166 were tortured by law enforcers, 208 were abused by ruling party cadres and 142 received death threats.

“Violence against journalists is increasing every day which is really bad for democracy,” says the group's director, Sultana Kamal. “Unless the culprits are punished properly it is not likely to go away and the government would not be able to escape blame.”

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists ranked Bangladesh the 11th worst country in the world last year, in terms of violence against the news media.

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