CPJ urges Bangladesh prime minister to break ‘cycle’ of journalist repression

The New York-based rights group says Bangladesh’s new government should start by releasing jailed journalists and dropping politically motivated cases

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has urged Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to break what it called Bangladesh’s “cycle of partisan persecution” of journalists and take immediate steps to protect press freedom.

The New York-based organisation made the call in a statement marking the BNP government’s first 100 days in office, saying Tarique should begin fulfilling his election pledge to safeguard media freedom.

CPJ said Bangladesh has had three governments in less than two years: Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League administration, which was ousted in August 2024; the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus; and, since February 2026, the BNP government.

“Through each transition, journalists have been detained, prosecuted, surveilled, attacked, and vilified — often for their perceived alignment with whichever government had just fallen,” the statement said.

The organisation also cited a recent report by The Daily Star that said police were carrying out background checks and profiling journalists across the country, calling the development “concerning”.

CPJ said it had documented at least 10 incidents in 2025 in which reporters covering political events faced violence or harassment, mostly allegedly involving members or affiliates of the BNP and its student wing, Chhatra Dal.

It urged the government to publicly condemn attacks on journalists, order prompt and impartial investigations, and ensure those responsible are held accountable regardless of political affiliation.

Kunal Majumder, CPJ’s Asia-Pacific programme coordinator, said press freedom in Bangladesh had too often been treated as an opportunity for each incoming government to use the law against journalists perceived to be close to the previous administration.

“Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s government pledged to be different — but 100 days in, meaningful progress remains limited,” he said.

Majumder said the government could begin by releasing imprisoned journalists, dropping politically motivated cases, ending political vendettas against the press, protecting journalists from mob violence, halting smear campaigns and fixing laws that enable repression.

“These steps would ensure the same standard is applied to every journalist, regardless of who they are perceived to support. That is what breaking the cycle looks like,” he said.

Ten Steps Recommended

CPJ set out 10 steps it said were needed to restore press freedom in Bangladesh.

The first was to end the use of the criminal justice system against journalists. The organisation said dozens of journalists whose reporting was seen as supportive of Hasina had been detained or charged since August 2024, often through cases naming hundreds of people or unidentified accused.

It cited the cases of Farzana Rupa, Shakil Ahmed and Mozammel Haque Babu of Ekattor TV, and Shyamal Dutta of Bhorer Kagoj, saying they had been detained since August or September 2024.

The organisation also called for an end to the use of the International Crimes Tribunal against journalists, saying the tribunal was being deployed over editorial work. It said at least 25 journalists were under ICT investigation, in many cases over allegations linked to support for the Hasina government.

CPJ said the government should ensure accountability for crimes against journalists “regardless of politics”, including killings, attacks, surveillance and arbitrary detention under both the Hasina government and the interim administration.

It also urged the authorities to protect journalists and newsrooms from mob violence. The statement referred to attacks on the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star during unrest in December 2025, as well as attacks on other media outlets and reporters covering protests.

CPJ further called for the Cyber Protection Act, 2026 to be replaced or substantially amended, saying it retained vague definitions and weak judicial oversight that had made previous cyber laws tools of repression.

It also urged reforms to the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009 and other laws, including the Special Powers Act, 1974 and the Official Secrets Act, 1923, to prevent their use against journalists.

The organisation said the government should withdraw draft media regulatory ordinances and instead implement the Media Reform Commission’s recommendations through a transparent process that guarantees regulatory independence.

It also called for the repeal or amendment of older laws and surveillance frameworks used to silence journalists, including criminal defamation provisions and interception powers under the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulation Act, 2001.

CPJ said the accreditation system should be reformed so credentials could not be revoked on the basis of allegations, and safeguards should be introduced against abusive lawsuits designed to drain newsroom resources.

Finally, it urged the government to end the smearing and vilification of journalists, saying political actors, state-aligned media and online trolls routinely branded Bangladeshi journalists as “pro-India”, “anti-Islam”, “traitors” or agents of the previous government.

The organisation said such vilification endangered journalists and intimidated sources.

“The government must make clear and repeated public statements affirming that independent journalism is a constitutional right and a democratic necessity,” CPJ said, adding that those who incite violence against the press through smear campaigns should be held accountable.