Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA) has urged Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, and the BNP government to immediately release dozens of journalists held for over a year on “spurious charges.”
In a statement addressed to the BNP and Commonwealth News Media, the CJA welcomed the relatively free elections held on 12 February and the prime minister-elect’s commitment to restoring the rule of law in Bangladesh.
The association mentioned that many media workers remain in prison on baseless allegations, including murder, in violation of their fundamental rights. Among those still detained is CJA Vice-President Shyamal Dutta, the long-serving editor of Bhorer Kagoj.
Dutta was arrested in September 2024 on a murder charge that the CJA described as baseless. Since his arrest, he has reportedly been held in extremely harsh conditions and denied both bail and proper legal representation.
His daughter, Sushama Shashi Dutta, has issued an open letter to the government pleading for her father’s release amid the ongoing oppression of the press.
The CJA highlighted a broader pattern of injustice since July 2024, reporting that hundreds of journalists have been physically attacked and several killed with complete impunity.
Furthermore, numerous media workers were arbitrarily dismissed or deprived of their press cards based solely on perceived political affiliations.
While the 2025 interim government, headed by Muhammad Yunus, began withdrawing 16,429 groundless cases to restore faith in the justice system, the CJA emphasised that many remain unjustly detained.
The association reminded the new administration of the Commonwealth Principles on Freedom of Expression adopted in Samoa in October 2024, which state that member governments have a duty to protect the media and must act decisively to end impunity for attacks on journalists.
Irene Khan, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, has remarked that the handling of these cases by Bangladeshi courts will be a “test of the pledges made by the new government.”
The CJA has called for decisive action to ensure media workers can perform their duties with the full protection of the law.
