CPJ and Rights Groups Sound Alarm on Press Freedom Violations Ahead of Bangladesh Election

IPW Report, New York, Dec. 31-2025, 

Journalism in Bangladesh has long-faced pressure, but expectations of improvement following the political change of the last regime have yet to materialize. Instead, recent developments suggest that conditions for journalists and media institutions may have deteriorated further. A series of attacks, arrests, and acts of intimidation targeting journalists and news organizations in recent weeks has shocked the country and drawn renewed concern from international watchdogs and local rights groups.

Dhaka — International press freedom organizations, led by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), have issued fresh warnings over what they describe as a growing pattern of rights violations against journalists and media outlets in Bangladesh, as the country moves toward its national election scheduled for 12 February 2026.

CPJ has strongly condemned the arrest of veteran journalist Anis Alamgir, who was detained under the Anti-Terrorism Act and placed on remand earlier this month. The organization urged authorities to release him immediately, warning that the use of national security laws against journalists poses a serious threat to media freedom and democratic norms.

In separate statements, CPJ and partner organizations also denounced violent attacks on the offices of leading newspapers Prothom Alo and The Daily Star. During the incidents, mobs reportedly vandalized and set fire to the buildings, with journalists at times trapped inside before being rescued. Rights groups have described the attacks as a grave escalation in threats to media safety.

The unrest also extended to senior figures in the media. New Age editor and Editors’ Council president Nurul Kabir was reportedly harassed and physically confronted by a hostile crowd near the Daily Star office, an incident that rights advocates say underscores the growing risks faced not only by reporters but also by editors and media leaders.

Human rights and press freedom organizations have called for swift and transparent investigations, accountability for those responsible, and stronger measures to ensure the safety of journalists and media institutions. They warn that continued impunity could further erode press freedom and public trust.

These developments have heightened concern among rights groups that media freedom and democratic space are under increasing pressure in the run-up to Bangladesh’s upcoming election, raising questions about the environment in which journalists are expected to operate during a critical political period.