New York, June 22 (IANS) A leading international press freedom group on Monday called on the Bangladeshi authorities to drop all charges filed against six journalists from the daily “Agrajatra Pratidin,” saying they had been criminalised for their public-interest reporting on political corruption in the country.
Citing the police case, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) expressed grave concern over the charges brought against journalists under Bangladesh’s Cyber Security Act 2026, as well as allegations of criminal defamation, extortion, and criminal intimidation.
The CPJ noted that the criminal complaint, filed by Bogura Press Club Treasurer Tanvir Alam Rimon, stemmed from the newspaper’s reporting on alleged corruption involving Bangladesh’s State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam.
“The detention of Rezanur Islam and charges against five other Agrajatra Pratidin journalists for their reporting on allegations of corruption against a government minister are a blatant act of intimidation,” said Kunal Majumder, CPJ’s Asia-Pacific programme coordinator.
“Authorities must drop these charges and stop weaponising cyber and criminal defamation laws against the press,” he added.
According to the CPJ, a rise in physical attacks on media outlets, threats, and harassment linked to political polarisation has been documented across Bangladesh in recent years.
Earlier this month, the press freedom group had urged Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to begin delivering on his electoral promise to protect media freedom in the country, calling for an end to “partisan persecution of journalists” following his government’s first 100 days in office.
Expressing concern, the CPJ cited a report by Bangladesh’s newspaper The Daily Star, which revealed that police were conducting background checks and profiling journalists across the country.
“Press freedom in Bangladesh has too often been treated as an opportunity for each new government to turn the law against journalists allegedly aligned with the previous administration. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s government pledged to be different—but 100 days in, meaningful progress remains limited,” said Kunal Majumder.
“The government can start by releasing imprisoned journalists and dropping politically motivated cases, ending political vendettas against the press, protecting journalists from mob violence, halting smear campaigns, and fixing laws that make all of this possible. These steps would ensure the same standard is applied to every journalist, regardless of who they are perceived to support. That is what breaking the cycle looks like,” he added.
Calling for an end to the use of the criminal justice system against media professionals in Bangladesh, the CPJ said that dozens of journalists whose coverage was perceived as supportive of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have been detained or charged since August 2024.
–IANS
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