The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has urged Bangladesh’s incoming government to uphold constitutional guarantees of press freedom and take immediate steps to ensure the safety of journalists.
CPJ expressed its concern in a statement posted on its verified Facebook page on Friday.
It said, “Issues and recommendations raised in CPJ’s pre‑election letters to major political parties—including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Jamaat‑e‑Islami, National Citizen Party, and Jatiya Party—must now be addressed through reforms that protect journalists, ensure accountability, and safeguard the news media.”
“As Bangladesh prepares to see a new government, CPJ called on the incoming authorities to uphold constitutional guarantees of a free press,” it said.
Ahead of the national election, CPJ revealed on January 29 that it had written to the country’s major political parties. In those letters, the group highlighted research showing that risks to journalists had escalated in the run‑up to the polls.
The letters also referenced mob attacks last December on the offices of two leading newspapers, Prothom Alo and The Daily Star. CPJ described the incidents as a troubling precedent for press safety and a reminder of the urgent need for stronger protections.
