A local journalist of Mymensingh, Swapan Bhadra, was actively involved with local and national newspapers. The 55-year-old former vice-president of Tarakanda Press Club died in October this year after being hacked by a local drug dealer, who he had a long-standing dispute with, as per newspaper reports. Local sources in Tarakanda said Swapan was known for his stance against terrorism and drug trafficking in the area.

In November, Shahidul Islam Nirob, Jamalpur district correspondent of The Daily Star, came under attack when covering an event organised by the Bangladesh Chhatra Union, the student front of the Communist Party of Bangladesh. As per newspaper reports, the miscreants led the attack on the event mistaking it for a Chhatra League conference. Despite identifying himself as a journalist, Shahidul Islam was not spared and had to be admitted to a hospital for his injuries.

The editor of Bangla daily Jugantor Saiful Alam faced a contempt of court rule for publishing an article tilted — Fire Dekha Bichar Bivag Prithokikoron (Looking Back: Judiciary Separation). Writer and researcher Mohammad Abdus Salam had penned the article. The High Court issued the rule on a writ petition claiming that the article undermined the authority and sanctity of the judgments of the High Court and Appellate Division. Abdus Salam and the daily Jugantor’s publisher Salma Islam also faced the rule seeking explanations for authoring, publishing, and disseminating contemptuous statements.

Netrokona-based journalists Shafikul Islam of Daily Bhorer Akash and Netrokona correspondence of Mymensingh Protidin, Roman Hasan, were brutally assaulted while on duty on December 17, 2024. The attack occurred in Kendua Upazila as they were documenting illegal sand collection for a report. After capturing photos of the sand piles, a group of miscreants abducted them, took them to an abandoned house, and beat them severely. The assailants demanded a ransom of five lakh taka, threatening to kill and disappear their bodies if their demands were not met. Fortunately, local residents intervened and rescued the journalists, who were later taken to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital for treatment. The victims identified three of their attackers. In response, the local journalist community organized a human chain protest, condemning the abduction and torture of media professionals and demanding justice.

The sudden closure of Bhorer Kagoj, a 33-year-old Bengali daily, in January 2025 has deepened the crisis in Bangladesh’s struggling media industry. Nearly 140 employees were abruptly left jobless, with no prior notice, severance pay, or service benefits. The management cited financial constraints and internal decisions under Section 12 of the Bangladesh Labour Act 2006 as the basis for the shutdown. However, the abrupt manner in which it was executed, without ensuring the financial security of its staff, has raised serious ethical and legal concerns. The closure came amid growing unrest among employees over unpaid wages, with protests demanding overdue salaries and job security. The lack of a transparent exit plan has left journalists and media workers in professional limbo, highlighting the precarious nature of employment in the country’s news industry. Just months earlier, in September 2024, Bhorer Kagoj’s editor, Shyamal Dutta, was detained following the fall of the previous regime.