Attacks on journalists are increasing

Press Freedom Under Threat: Violence and Harassment of Journalists Escalate

Journalists in Bangladesh are facing escalating threats as they expose corruption by powerful figures. Alongside extortion and other criminal activities, they encounter relentless obstacles—ranging from intimidation to fatal attacks. Many have been threatened with death, and some have been summoned by authorities after reporting on corruption involving police or government officials. Those who refuse to yield to criminal demands often pay with their lives.

The brutal hacking and throat-slitting murder of journalist Asaduzzaman Tuhin in Gazipur last Thursday night has sparked nationwide outrage, prompting protest rallies across the country.

Widespread Harassment Documented
A Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) report, released on August 4, reveals that between August 2024 and July 2025, 496 journalists were harassed. The report, titled “One Year After the Fall of an Authoritarian Regime: Expectations and Realities”, highlights that press freedom remains insecure even under the interim government.

Other NGOs paint an equally grim picture:

• In just the first seven months of this year, 274 journalists were attacked, leaving 126 injured.

• Between August and December last year, 165 attacks injured 95 journalists.

• Three journalists were killed on duty during the reporting period, with Tuhin’s murder pushing the number to four.

Cases of extreme violence include the gang-rape of a female journalist in Dhaka in March, and repeated assaults on reporters in Pabna and Rupganj. Rights groups such as HRSS and Odhikar also reported incidents of public humiliation, threats, arrests, and legal harassment under the Cyber Security Act 2023, which has been used to target at least 23 journalists this year alone.

Murders and Threats
The past year saw multiple killings of journalists, including Deepto TV’s Tanzil Jahan Tamim, Tarakanda Press Club vice-president Swapan Kumar Bhodro, and journalist Rahnuma Sarah. Threats have come from political leaders, local officials, business owners, and even members of law enforcement. Incidents of abduction, torture, and bomb attacks have also been reported.

Official Summons for Exposing Bribery
On August 4, Bangla Tribune’s Rupganj correspondent Likhan Raj was summoned by the Narayanganj Police Bureau of Investigation after publishing a report alleging that a sub-inspector demanded a Tk 50,000 bribe. The summons sought details of his sources, raising further concerns about press intimidation.

Authorities’ and Rights Groups’ Response
Police officials insist they are working to curb crime and have pledged to bring Tuhin’s killers to justice. HRSS called the murder a “direct attack on press freedom,” while the Newspaper Owners’ Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) said the TIB findings were “deeply disheartening.” NOAB noted that post-uprising hopes for a free and democratic society with guaranteed press freedom have not been realised, and urged an end to mob intimidation of journalists and media owners.