Crisis Point for Media Freedom in Bangladesh

The Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA) has sounded the alarm over a “crisis point” for press freedom in Bangladesh, citing mass arrests, fabricated charges, and harassment of journalists under the interim administration of Mohammad Yunus.

In a recent statement, the CJA highlighted an impassioned appeal from Shushama Shashi, daughter of detained journalist Shyamal Dutta, editor of Bhorer Kagoj and CJA vice president. She called for global media and human rights organisations to intervene for the release of her father and more than 100 other journalists currently facing charges or imprisonment.

According to Shashi, detainees are being denied medical treatment and forced to endure harsh prison conditions. “My father has been hospitalised twice without proper care, and cancer patient Mojammel Babu has been denied treatment,” she said. She also revealed that her father has been hit with two separate charges—one of murder and another of attempted murder dating back to 2013—shortly after his family sought legal redress.

The CJA report notes that journalists such as Muzammil Babu of Ekattor TV and husband-wife duo Farzana Rupa and Shakil Ahmed were also arrested last year. Many others face “trumped-up” charges, with bail systematically denied.

In London, British-Bangladeshi journalists staged a protest demanding the release of their colleagues. CJA member Richard Bourne reminded that Bangladesh signed the Commonwealth statement on media freedom, yet torture, harassment, and even killings of journalists continue.

International watchdogs have joined the outcry. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called the cases “baseless” and warned against reprisals. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urged the government to uphold press independence and fair trials. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its Bangladesh affiliate condemned the “criminalisation of journalism.”

UNESCO’s Observatory of Killed Journalists reported five journalists killed in Bangladesh in 2025, while the World Press Freedom Index ranks the country 165th of 180.

The CJA concludes: “Drop these trumped-up charges. Respect media freedom – our urgent message to the new regime in Bangladesh.”