‘Shrinking civic space’: Amnesty International flags attacks on journalists in Bangladesh

These arrests form part of an alarming trend of journalists being targeted for their “perceived support of the Awami League”, it says

As Bangladesh prepares for national elections scheduled for Feb 12, Amnesty International has urged the interim government led by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus to place human rights, rule of law and accountability at the centre of the electoral process.

In an open letter, the global human rights organisation described the pre-election period as a “pivotal moment” for the country -- one that presents an opportunity to “restore public trust, strengthen governance and ensure full respect for human rights and the rule of law”.

Amnesty said Bangladesh has, under successive governments, witnessed serious and persistent violations, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detention, torture, and restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly and association.

Journalists, political opponents, human rights defenders and civil society actors have frequently faced reprisals, the global human rights organisation noted, amid “shrinking civic space and entrenched impunity for state actors”.

The interim administration, Amnesty said, inherited a “rare opportunity” to change course.

While acknowledging steps such as Bangladesh’s ratification of the Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, the organisation warned that significant gaps remain between international commitments and realities on the ground.

With elections approaching, Amnesty stressed that freedoms guaranteed under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights -- particularly freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association -- are essential to free and informed political participation.

Any restrictions on these rights, it said, risk distorting the electoral environment and eroding confidence in public institutions.

“The interim government has a responsibility to ensure that laws, policies, and practices fully protect these rights, both online and offline, and that no one is arrested, intimidated or attacked for exercising their rights,” it said.

The organisation raised particular concern over the continued use of security legislation, including the Anti-Terrorism Act, against journalists.

It cited the arrest of journalist Monjurul Alam Panna in August under the Act, following accusations of sympathising with former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, as well as the December detention of journalist Anis Alamgir on allegations of spreading propaganda in favour of the Awami League.

“These arrests form part of an alarming trend of journalists being targeted for their perceived support of the Awami League,” Amnesty said.

The letter also pointed to a series of violent incidents in late 2025 that underscored what it described as a failure to protect fundamental rights.

Following the death of Sharif Osman bin Hadi in December, violent “mob” attacks left media offices, including The Daily Star and Prothom Alo, and cultural institutions Chhayanaut and Udichi Shilpi Gosthi in ruins, while also harassing journalists, the letter mentioned.

In a separate incident, a Hindu garment worker, Dipu Chandra Das, was lynched after allegations of blasphemy.

Amnesty said these attacks reflect a broader pattern of violence against journalists, minorities and artists by non-state actors, and criticised what it described as delayed and ineffective responses by law-enforcing agencies.

Bangladesh, the organisation said, is obligated not only to investigate and prosecute perpetrators but also to prevent such attacks in the first place.

Calling the weeks ahead of the election a decisive test for the interim government, Amnesty urged authorities to end the misuse of security laws, ensure prompt and lawful protection for those exercising their rights, and guarantee accountability for attacks on media workers and minorities.

“The choices made now will shape Bangladesh’s human rights trajectory for years to come,” the organisation said, adding that the government must ensure all citizens can participate in the country’s political future freely, safely and without fear.