Journalists’ group urges Bangladesh parties to commit to press freedom ahead of polls

In separate letters, the New York-based organisation urges the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, NCP and Jatiya Party to make public commitments to protect journalists during the election period

Committee to Protect Journalists

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has written to Bangladesh’s main political parties ahead of the Feb 12 national election, urging them to take urgent steps to safeguard press freedom and ensure the safety of journalists.

In separate letters sent on Jan 29, the New York-based media watchdog called on the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, the National Citizen Party and the Jatiya Party to make public commitments to protect journalists during the election period. It also urged party leaders to ensure those commitments are upheld after the vote if they are elected.

The CPJ said political parties should reject violence, intimidation and the use of criminal or national security laws against journalists, warning that such practices undermine free and fair elections.

The group added that its research showed that risks to journalists had intensified in the run-up to the election, citing physical attacks on media organisations, threats and harassment linked to political polarisation, and the continued imprisonment of five journalists on charges the organisation said appeared connected to their reporting or perceived political affiliations.

The organisation also pointed to what it described as long-standing impunity for violence against journalists, noting that no one has been held accountable for the killings of reporters Hasan Mehedi and Abu Taher Md Turab, who were killed while covering protests in July 2024.

The CPJ warned that the combination of attacks, legal pressure and lack of accountability had created a climate of fear and self-censorship, undermining election-related reporting and the broader information environment in which voters make decisions.

In the letters, the CPJ called on political parties to publicly affirm the role of independent journalism in free and fair elections, protect journalists from harassment and violence, including by party supporters, and refrain from using criminal or national security laws to target media workers. It also highlighted concerns over digital harassment, surveillance, restrictions on access to information and attacks on newsrooms during periods of unrest.

The organisation said freedom of expression and of the press are guaranteed under Bangladesh’s constitution and international human rights treaties to which the country is a party, and argued that these protections must be upheld regardless of political affiliation.

“Real reform means breaking from the past, not replicating its abuses. All political parties must respect journalists’ right to report as the country is set to elect its representatives,” the CPJ said.