When Will the Imprisoned Journalists Be Released?

The Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA) has called on the government of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to release journalists who were arrested during the tenure of the interim government. In a recent statement, the organization said, “We demand the immediate release of journalists who have been in prison for more than a year on various false charges, including murder, which violate fundamental rights.”

Earlier, the Editors’ Council and 63 prominent human rights defenders in Bangladesh expressed deep concern over the arbitrary detention of journalists and the judicial process surrounding their cases.

Following the student–public uprising on 5 August 2024, several journalists were arrested and have remained in prison for a long time without trial. The continued denial of bail has created concern among the public, lawyers, and media professionals. Bail petitions for the detained journalists are repeatedly being rejected in the relevant courts.

Lawyers and human rights organizations say that most of the cases filed against the journalists are false and politically motivated. However, the state prosecution claims that the courts are not granting bail because the allegations are serious.

Manzill Murshid, President of Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPBV) and a senior advocate of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, said that the allegations brought against journalists by the interim government are false. He added that the legal framework necessary for the journalists to obtain quick relief from these cases has not yet been established in the country.

He further said that the new government is expected to ensure the quick release of imprisoned journalists from these cases, which would send a positive message both nationally and internationally.

Shyamal Kanti Sarkar, lawyer for journalists Mozammel Babu and Shyamal Dutta, said that they are not receiving even basic facilities considering their age and health conditions, let alone release or bail. He added that none of the cases have merit, yet they have been kept in prison for years.

Journalist Manjurul Alam Panna, who was recently released from prison, said that police officers aligned with the interim government are still engaged in case-related corruption. He added that if the new government stops such practices, innocent journalists will be released.

Tasleema Jahan Popy, lawyer for journalist Anis Alamgir, said that bail has now become a political issue. According to the law, the accused journalists are entitled to bail, but the courts are not granting it.

Omar Faruk Faruki, Public Prosecutor of the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Court, claimed that the journalists had taken positions in favor of the ousted government and that bail is not being granted due to the seriousness of the allegations.

Shakil Ahmed and Farzana Rupa were detained on 21 August 2024 from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. They were later shown arrested in multiple cases, including murder, related to the July movement.

Mozammel Haque Babu was detained on 17 September 2024 from the Dhobaura border and shown arrested in several murder and criminal cases related to the July movement.

On the same day, Shyamal Dutta was also detained from the Dhobaura border and made an accused in multiple cases involving murder and incitement.

Nasir Uddin Sathi, chairman of MyTV, was arrested from Gulshan on 17 August 2025 and remains imprisoned in cases involving murder and extortion.

In addition, journalists including Arif Hasan, Shawkat Mahmood, Sheikh Jamal, and Anis Alamgir, along with more than a dozen other journalists, were arrested in various cases including murder related to the July movement.

It is worth noting that following the mass killing incidents surrounding the anti-discrimination student movement in July, cases were filed with the investigation agency of the International Crimes Tribunal against 52 individuals including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. At the same time, 32 senior journalists were also named in the cases, including former presidents of the press club and senior officials from media organizations such as Ekattor TV and ATN News, among other media personalities.