From Anis Alamgir to Farzana Rupa: Growing Alarm Over Journalist Arrests

Journalist Anis Alamgir was taken into custody by the Detective Branch (DB) for questioning, and within hours a case was filed against him by an individual, accusing him of “conspiring to destabilize the state.”

Bangladesh’s Incoming Government Must Safeguard Press Freedom, CPJ Says

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has urged Bangladesh’s incoming government to uphold constitutional guarantees of press freedom and take immediate measures to protect journalists.

ASK Reports Surge in Political Violence and Journalist Harassment Ahead of Elections

Incidents of political violence and harassment of journalists have been rising ahead of Bangladesh’s 13th parliamentary elections scheduled for tomorrow, according to the human rights organisation Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK).

Editors’ Council Expresses Alarm Over Army’s Entry Into Media Office

The Editors’ Council has voiced serious concern over recent incidents of intimidation and harassment targeting journalists and media organisations, warning that such actions pose a grave threat to press freedom and the democratic process ahead of the upcoming national elections.

TIB Expresses Concern Over the Abduction of Bangladesh Times Journalists

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has expressed condemnation and concern over the incident of journalists of the media outlet “Bangladesh Times” being picked up. This condemnation was expressed at a press conference titled “Pre-Election Observation: The Role of the Election Commission” on Sunday (8 February) morning.

Bangladesh’s Rush to Form Media Commissions Endangers Press Freedom

ARTICLE 19 has expressed serious concern over the interim government of Bangladesh’s sudden release of draft ordinances aimed at establishing a National Media Commission and a Broadcasting Commission, allowing only three days for public feedback. The organisation warned that the rushed move, taken at the final stage of the interim government’s tenure, lacks transparency and due process and poses a threat to freedom of expression in the country.

Journalist Harassment in Bangladesh Far Higher Than TIB Reports

Over 1,000 journalists in Bangladesh have faced job loss, arrests, and attacks, far exceeding TIB’s reported 189 dismissals. Prominent reporters like Farzana Rupa, Shyamol Dutta, Mozammel Haque Babu, Shakil Ahmed, Shahriar Kabir, and Anis Alamgir have been detained, while mobs have seized media offices and unions, raising serious concerns over press freedom.

189 Journalists Sacked in 18 Months, Top-Level Changes at 29 Media Outlets: TIB

Concerns over shrinking media freedom and growing threats to journalists were highlighted at the launch of a research report at Transparency International Bangladesh’s (TIB) conference room in the capital on Monday (February 2). The report, titled “One and a Half Years After the Fall of Authoritarianism: Expectations and Achievements,” presented an alarming picture of the country’s media landscape.

Media and Broadcasting Commission Ordinances Termed ‘Unreasonable’ by Editors’ Council

The Editors’ Council has described the hurried publication of draft ordinances for the “National Media Commission” and the “Broadcasting Commission” just ahead of the election as undesirable and unreasonable. The organization of newspaper editors believes that making final decisions on laws with such far-reaching consequences without adequate consultation with stakeholders poses a risk to media freedom.

Journalism in Bangladesh Is Going Through an All-Pervasive Climate of Fear: Mahfuz Anam to Al Jazeera

The Editor and Publisher of The Daily Star, Mahfuz Anam, has said that journalism in Bangladesh is going through a kind of all-pervasive fear—where even the slightest deviation from a mindset imposed by certain groups carries the risk of being attacked.