The claim by Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus and his Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam that Bangladeshโs media enjoys unprecedented freedom is a stark contradiction to the reality faced by journalists since the interim government took power in August 2024.
Shafiqul Alamโs remarks at the Center for Governance Studies seminar on June 26, labeling mobs as โpressure groupsโ and blaming journalists for eroded public trust, dismiss a grim truth: over 260 journalists face murder charges, many are imprisoned without trial, media offices are occupied, accreditations are revoked, and the governmentโs press wing exerts pressure to censor critical content.
Reports from Article 19 and Human Rights Watch (HRW) further expose this repression, highlighting a systematic assault on press freedom that undermines the interim governmentโs narrative.
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Since August 2024, Bangladeshโs media landscape has deteriorated alarmingly. Article 19โs October 2024 statement notes that the interim government has failed to protect freedom of expression, with over 296 journalists charged, 600 cases filed, 18 arrested, 1,000 fired or forced to resign, 168 accreditations cancelled, and 83 press club memberships revoked.
These actions, coupled with physical attacks and vandalism of media outlets, create an environment of fear and censorship. HRWโs 2023 report, while addressing the previous Awami League government, underscores a longstanding pattern of crackdowns on journalists, a trend that persists under Yunus.
The revocation of accreditation cards and occupation of media offices signal a continuation of state-driven intimidation, not a break from it.
Shafiqul Alamโs assertion that Bangladeshi journalism is freer than in developed nations is not only baseless but dangerous. He blames journalists for public distrust, citing alleged calls for violence by โtop journalistsโ under the prior regime and decrying โlazy journalismโ on social media.
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Yet, as Article 19 points out, the interim governmentโs actionsโsuch as pressuring media to edit or remove critical storiesโdirectly contribute to this distrust by stifling legitimate reporting.
The shift to social media as a news source, which Shafiqul Alam criticises, is a consequence of traditional media being silenced through arrests, firings, and office occupations. Rather than addressing these root causes, Shafiqul Alam deflects blame, framing journalists as the problem while sanitising mob violence as โpressure groups.โ
The interim governmentโs failure to uphold press freedom is further evidenced by its inaction on legal protections for journalists. Article 19 calls for the repeal of repressive laws and the establishment of an independent commission to investigate attacks on journalistsโrecommendations ignored by Yunusโ administration.
Shafiqul Alamโs proposal for a Journalist Protection Ordinance rings hollow when he simultaneously demands protection for those โharmedโ by misreporting. This false equivalence equates the systemic persecution of journalists with the reputational concerns of government officials, ignoring the power imbalance.
As HRW notes, criminal defamation laws and vague charges like โanti-state activitiesโ are weaponised to silence dissent, a tactic that persists today with murder cases filed against journalists.
Shafiqul Alamโs rhetoric reveals a troubling prioritisation of shielding the powerful over protecting the press.
His complaint that government officials lack protection from media scrutinyโcontrasted with Western models where fines address misinformationโignores the absence of robust legal frameworks in Bangladesh to safeguard journalists. In the UK, fines for libel coexist with strong press protections; in Bangladesh, journalists face imprisonment without trial.
The occupation of media offices and pressure from the governmentโs press wing, led by Shafiqul Alam, further eroded any claim to media freedom.
For Bangladesh to achieve true press freedom, the interim government must act decisively: drop baseless charges, restore accreditations, end media office occupations, and engage with stakeholders to enact protective laws.
Yunus, a Nobel Peace laureate, carries the weight of international expectations to uphold democratic values. Yet, his administrationโs actions betray this legacy. The facade of media freedom, propped up by Shafiqul Alamโs dismissive rhetoric, cannot mask the reality of persecution. Until the government addresses these systemic abuses, as urged by Article 19 and HRW, Bangladeshโs journalists will remain under siege, and the promise of a free press will remain an illusion.
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