The year 2025 proved to be an extraordinarily dangerous period for journalists in Bangladesh. Under the interim government led by Dr. Muhammad Yunus, freedom of the media deteriorated rapidly, revealing a stark reality of shrinking space for independent journalism.
According to the 2025 human rights report by Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), a prominent Bangladeshi human rights organisation, at least 381 incidents of harassment, torture, and repression against journalists and media workers were documented from January to December. This figure underscores the systematic pressure on the media and the ongoing contraction of independent journalism.
Among the recorded cases, evidence showed direct involvement of law enforcement agencies in 23 instances, where journalists faced torture, harassment, or threatsโraising serious questions about the role of state institutions. Additionally, at least 20 journalists received death threats, and 123 journalists faced various criminal cases filed in retaliation for their professional work. ASK also reported that three journalists were killed during the year, with the bodies of four others recovered under mysterious circumstances.
Physical violence against journalists in 2025 was particularly alarming. The use of anti-terrorism laws emerged as a new and frightening repressive tactic for arresting and detaining journalists. Notable cases include the arrests of journalists Monjurul Alam Panna and Anis Alamgir.
Anis Alamgir remains imprisoned, highlighting concerns over the misuse of laws to silence critical voices and arbitrary detentions. Amnesty International has specifically called for the immediate release of Anis Alamgir, describing his detention under the amended Anti-Terrorism Act as targeting perceived supporters of the former Awami League government.
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Media institutions also came under direct attack. Offices of the country’s leading national dailies, Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, were vandalised, looted, and set ablaze by politically empowered mobs. Beyond physical destruction, these groups attempted to control editorial decisions, dictating how stories should be published.
Pressure on broadcast media was even more pronounced. After threats from a group called the July Revolutionary Alliance (JA) to besiege the offices of three television channels, at least three broadcast journalists lost their jobs. Their “offense” was asking tough but legitimate questions to cultural advisor Mustafa Sarwar Farooki. These incidents illustrate a reality where mob pressure and intimidation are defining the boundaries of journalism.
These events are not isolated. The repressive trend targeting journalists, which began after the fall of the previous government, deepened in 2025. Journalists such as Farzana Rupa, Shakil Ahmed, Mozammel Babu, and Shyamal Duttaโarrested in controversial cases related to the July-August 2024 violenceโremained imprisoned throughout the year.
Hundreds of other journalists faced charges described by human rights groups as “false or politically motivated,” severely impacting their personal freedom, livelihoods, and ability to work.
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Additional data from international rights groups paints a similarly grim picture:
– Human Rights Watch (HRW), in its World Report 2025, noted that authorities had filed cases against at least 129 journalists and revoked nearly 200 press accreditations by October. HRW highlighted continuing arbitrary arrests of journalists, denial of due process, and a pattern of intimidation through the legal system.
– Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) documented ongoing threats, attacks, and investigations against journalists post-2024 transition. In joint statements, CPJ condemned violent attacks on media outlets, including the December 2025 arson at Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, where staff were reportedly trapped in burning buildings. CPJ has also expressed alarm over baseless criminal cases and called for probes into mob violence against the press.
– Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reported an “alarming surge” in press freedom violations, including harassment, revocation of accreditations (e.g., 59 journalists seen as supporters of the former government), and persecution even extending to exiled journalists’ families.
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– Other monitoring efforts, such as those cited in reports from rights coalitions, documented over 350 cases of harassment, 74 violent incidents, 113 criminal charges, and 167 revoked press credentials in 2025.
Overall, the events of 2025 signal a profound crisis for press freedom in Bangladesh. Through sustained harassment, criminalisation, and intimidation, an environment has been created where independent journalism is viewed not as an essential pillar of democracy, but as a “threat.”
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