Press Freedom Under Attack: BNP mob removes BSS chief editor Mahbub Morshed

In the first attack on press freedom under the BNP-led government, Managing Director and Chief Editor of state news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), Mahbub Morshed, was effectively ousted from his office on Wednesday through intimidation and mob action rather than formal procedures.

In a Facebook post in the afternoon, Morshed accused BNP elements of orchestrating the incident.

He wrote: “Dear BNP, you are coming to power, and I am happy. I was appointed as BSS MD and chief editor on a contractual basis by the interim government. If you do not want me in this position, there are established legal methods to terminate the contract and remove me. Why, instead, are you creating a mob in the office, attacking, locking it up, and trying to force me out?”

Morshed, appointed on August 17, 2024, following the removal of previous office bearers during the chaotic transition after the fall of the Awami League government, left the BSS premises around 4pm after journalists and employees reportedly expressed no confidence in him during a meeting.

According to accounts from the BSS Journalists and Employees Unity Council, the group had organised prior to the recent elections but refrained from action to avoid disrupting coverage. Post-election, they decided not to work under Morshed, conveyed their lack of confidence, informed the government, and denied him use of the office vehicle upon departure.

The BSS website carried no reports on the incident or any mob-related events as of Wednesday night, underscoring ongoing concerns about self-censorship and institutional pressure.

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Senior journalist and political observer Probir Kumar Sarker states that this episode highlights the sorry state of press freedom in Bangladesh, where mob-driven purges have replaced due process. Morshed himself had remained largely silent during the 18-month interim government under Muhammad Yunus, refraining from critical coverage that might have challenged the regime’s image despite widespread journalist persecution.

Under the Yunus-led interim administration from August 2024 onward, press freedom deteriorated markedly. According to Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK)’s 2025 annual report, at least 381 journalists faced abuse and harassment nationwide. This included:

– 23 abused, harassed, or threatened by law enforcement;

– 20 receiving death threats;

– 123 facing legal cases over reports or opinions;

– 118 physically attacked on duty;

– 3 killed by miscreants;

– 4 others found dead under mysterious circumstances.

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Dhaka recorded the highest incidents (92), followed by Chattogram (53) and others. Broader figures since August 2024 show 184 accreditations revoked, 354 journalists implicated in alleged fabricated cases, 18 arrested on false murder charges, and 523 total persecution incidents. In January 2026 alone, 15 journalists were attacked and one received a death threat.

Journalist Probir said that the jihadist-backed Yunus regime weaponised laws, including the amended Anti-Terrorism Act, to detain critics. Senior journalists like Farzana Rupa, Shakil Ahmed, Mozammel Babu, Shyamal Dutta, and Anis Alamgir remain imprisoned on charges tied to the 2024 events or alleged propaganda. Mob threats forced dismissals, as seen when a Facebook ultimatum led to firings at TV channels after questioning an adviser. Hundreds lost jobs due to blacklists by groups like Students Against Discrimination (SAD).

Media offices faced vandalism, including attacks on Prothom Alo and The Daily Star. Female journalists endured sexual violence, and hundreds lost press club memberships without a process. International bodies like CPJ and RSF documented persistent threats, with over 130 journalists facing baseless proceedings post-uprising.

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Despite a Media Reform Commission formed in late 2024, new cases continued, exposing a pattern of narrative control through fear and mobocracy.

Condemning Wednesday’s incident, Probir said: “The forced removal of Morshed—now under a BNP government—signals that such tactics persist, shifting from one regime to another. Rather than fostering accountability and legal norms, mob actions undermine institutional integrity and journalistic independence. True press freedom requires ending impunity for attackers, restoring due process, and protecting media from political vengeance, lest Bangladesh descend further into rule by intimidation.”