The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its Bangladeshi affiliate, the Bangladesh Manobadhikar Sangbadik Forum (BMSF), have urged the interim government to take urgent safeguards for journalists amid escalating threats.
In a joint statement, IFJ and BMSF said that the recent death of veteran journalist Bibhuranjan Sarkar—whose body was recovered from the Meghna River following what the IFJ described as “recurring intimidation by local authorities”—has spotlighted the deteriorating climate for media in Bangladesh.
Sarkar had disappeared after being placed on leave from Ajker Patrika. His final published piece, arriving posthumously, warned of pervasive fear and financial insecurity among his peers. “Living by writing the truth is not easy,” he wrote, reads the statement.
The IFJ noted Sarkar’s death came on the heels of the public murder of reporter Md Asaduzzaman Tuhin in Gazipur on August 7 and the earlier killing of Khandaker Shah Alam in Dhaka’s northeast—signalling a deadly trend for the profession.
IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said , “The death of veteran journalist Bibhuranjan Sarkar underscores the broader attack on freedom of expression and decline of independent journalism amid a culture of fear and intimidation in Bangladesh. “The IFJ urges the interim government to uphold its commitment to the security of media workers and ensure journalists can fulfil their duties without fear of suppression or retribution” the statement concluded.