On a humid evening in Dhaka this year, journalists sat silently in their newsroom as armed personnel entered the premises and questioned staff for hours. Phones were checked, movements restricted, and fear spread quickly through the room. Though the journalists were later released, the message was unmistakable: newsrooms themselves are no longer safe spaces. International press-freedom advocates described the incident as part of a growing pattern of intimidation that has turned journalism in Bangladesh into a profession of constant risk.
According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Bangladesh remains one of the most challenging environments for journalists in South Asia. Despite climbing to 149th place out of 180 countries in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, RSF cautioned that the improvement ‘does not reflect the reality on the ground,’ where reporters face violence, legal harassment, and impunity for crimes against the press. RSF has repeatedly highlighted how journalists covering corruption, elections, labour rights, and security issues are particularly vulnerable.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has documented a persistent pattern of attacks, arbitrary arrests, and retaliatory legal cases against Bangladeshi journalists. Since mid-2024, hundreds of reporters have faced criminal complaints, police questioning, or short-term detention, often without clear charges. CPJ has warned that such practices create a climate of fear that encourages self-censorship and undermines the public’s right to information.
Violence has not been limited to individuals. In late 2025, international media outlets including Reuters and regional global press reported that mobs attacked and vandalised major media houses in Dhaka, setting parts of buildings on fire and trapping journalists inside. These attacks forced some newspapers to suspend publication temporarily. Global press-freedom organisations described the incidents as ‘direct assaults on democratic institutions,’ noting that attacks on media infrastructure represent a dangerous escalation beyond targeting individual reporters.
The human cost is stark. International monitoring shows that Bangladesh was among the countries where journalists were killed in 2024 and 2025, placing it on global lists of the deadliest nations for media workers. Beyond killings, journalists regularly report physical assaults while covering protests, threats against family members, and coordinated online harassment campaigns. A recent survey cited by international partners found that nearly nine out of ten journalists fear physical violence when covering elections, underscoring the scale of insecurity surrounding political reporting.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) and several UN Special Rapporteurs have repeatedly expressed concern over shrinking civic space in Bangladesh, emphasising that press freedom is a cornerstone of democratic governance. They have urged authorities to ensure accountability for attacks against journalists and to stop using legal and security mechanisms to intimidate the media.
Yet, despite intimidation, journalists continue their work. From urban newsrooms to remote districts, reporters persist in documenting protests, corruption, labour abuses, and human-rights violations. Many do so knowing that telling the truth may cost them their freedom, their livelihood, or their lives.
In Bangladesh today, journalism is no longer just a profession, it is an act of courage. The future of press freedom in the country will depend not only on legal reforms, but on whether violence, fear, and impunity are finally replaced with protection, accountability, and respect for the fundamental right to free expression.
The writer is a media freedom activist
