Journalists Face Growing Risks in Bangladesh, Freedom of Expression Taskforce Warns
Freedom of expression in Bangladesh is facing growing challenges, particularly for media professionals, as journalists across the country continue to encounter harassment, violence, false cases, and censorship without adequate avenues for accountability or justice, speakers said at a discussion in Dhaka on Monday.
The meeting, organized by advocacy organization VOICE, brought together members of the Freedom of Expression Taskforce to discuss ways to strengthen freedom of expression and respond to the deteriorating situation. Participants stressed the need for coordinated action among all stakeholders and a deeper analysis of the current challenges.
VOICE Executive Director Ahmed Swapan Mahmud said expectations that restrictions on freedom of expression would ease under the changed political context have not been met.
“In the evolving situation, we had hoped that past barriers to freedom of expression would be removed, but reality tells a different story,” he said. “Through regular media monitoring, we are documenting a comprehensive picture of these obstacles. At the same time, we will continue to raise our collective voice so that no one is deprived of their fundamental rights.”
Presenting findings from media monitoring conducted from November last year to the present, VOICE Deputy Director Musharrat Mahera said the human rights situation is becoming increasingly fragile due to the lack of proper enforcement of laws.
“Through this taskforce, we aim to build a strong network that can serve as an effective platform for protecting the right to freedom of expression,” she said.
The discussion was attended by human rights activist Rezauur Rahman Lenin, senior journalist Sultan Mahmud, rights activists Dalia Chakma and Saraban Tahura, development consultant Manzur Rashid, academic Afroza Soma, among others.
Participants highlighted ongoing concerns, including violence against journalists, politically motivated and false cases, communal attacks, and abuses against Indigenous and minority communities. They expressed a shared commitment to remain actively engaged in defending fundamental rights and promoting freedom of expression in Bangladesh.
