How July 2024 Marked the Fall of Democracy and Press Freedom

July 2024 will be remembered as a dark chapter in the history of Bangladesh. The group that called itself the “July Warriors” did not merely seize power—they pushed the country’s democratic progress into a grave. Since the unlawful takeover, the state has ceased to serve the people and instead turned into a tool of repression.

Silencing the Truth

In today’s Bangladesh, speaking the truth is increasingly treated as a crime. Independent newspapers, TV channels, and digital platforms are under unrelenting assault. In its 2025 World Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) placed Bangladesh near the very bottom. Meanwhile, the international watchdog Article 19 reported that between July and December 2024, at least 340 journalists were attacked, harassed, or jailed. This is not isolated censorship—it is a systematic strategy to eliminate dissent.

The First Target: The Media

The media was the regime’s first casualty. The online edition of Prothom Alo was blocked for days. Samakal's printing press was forcefully shut down. Broadcast licenses for Channel 24 and Somoy TV were put in jeopardy. Journalists had their press credentials revoked, effectively banning them from Parliament and the Secretariat.

The Right to Information Act has been rendered meaningless. When journalists request official data, authorities routinely deny access, citing "national security." But a democracy without a free press cannot hold itself accountable. When the media is silenced, truth itself disappears from public life.

A Nation Muffled

Bangladesh has become a state of silence. Teachers, journalists, writers—even ordinary citizens—face arrest for any form of dissent. The ICT Act and sedition charges are widely used as tools of intimidation. According to the human rights organization Odhikar, nearly 2,000 individuals were arrested for social media posts between August 2024 and March 2025.

University professors cannot speak freely in classrooms or research papers. A professor at Dhaka University was suspended immediately after calling the Yunus-led government “illegitimate.” Just as journalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol was forcibly disappeared in 2020, a similar climate of fear has once again gripped the nation.

The People Pay the Price

Democracy isn’t only about elections. It also means freedom of expression, access to information, and government accountability. As these pillars collapse, so does public trust. A Gallup poll from early 2025 shows only 21% of Bangladeshis trust their government—the lowest in a decade.

This disillusionment breeds unrest. In both urban and rural areas, people whisper: "The state no longer belongs to us; it only seeks to control us."

Lessons From the Past

One of the core reasons behind Bangladesh’s Liberation War was the suppression of free speech. In 1971, the Pakistani regime first targeted journalists and intellectuals. Alarmingly, today’s Bangladesh is beginning to mirror that history.

During the Liberation War, courageous journalists from Weekly Joy Bangla and Sangbad risked their lives to tell the truth. History reminds us that truth can be delayed, but never erased. Today’s repression may one day spark another people’s movement for justice.

The Choice Before Us

Bangladesh now stands at a critical crossroads. Silencing journalists is not just a blow to one profession—it is a threat to the very soul of the nation. Journalism is democracy’s eyes and ears. If the eyes are blinded and the ears are deafened, the state will drift into permanent darkness.

With the media muted and citizen rights trampled, Bangladesh’s democracy is on a death march. The real question is this: Will the nation surrender to the darkness, or rise once more in the name of truth and freedom? History now waits for an answer.