IPW Desk, New York, February-2, 2026.

The Committee to Protect Journalists has urged Bangladesh’s major political parties to take immediate steps to safeguard press freedom and ensure the safety of journalists ahead of the country’s national election scheduled for February 12.

In separate letters sent to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, the National Citizen Party, and the Jatiya Party, CPJ called on party leaders to make public commitments to protect journalists during the election period. The organization urged the parties to reject violence, intimidation, and the misuse of criminal, digital, or national-security laws against members of the press, and to ensure that any commitments made are upheld after the election by those who assume office.

CPJ said its research indicates that risks to journalists have intensified in the pre-election period. The group cited physical attacks on media outlets, threats and harassment linked to political polarization, and the continued imprisonment of five journalists on charges that appear connected to their reporting or perceived political affiliations. According to CPJ, these developments have further strained an already fragile media environment.

The organization also pointed to longstanding impunity for violence against journalists and a lack of meaningful progress on promised media reforms, warning that these factors have contributed to a climate of fear and self-censorship among journalists.

As part of its appeal, CPJ released the full text of its letters to the four political parties. The intervention comes amid heightened political tensions, with the former ruling party, the Awami League, barred from contesting the upcoming election.

CPJ said that protecting journalists is essential to ensuring free, fair, and credible elections, warning that continued threats to press freedom could undermine public trust in the electoral process.