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.
Type of violation: Killing
Police arrested Pradip Chowdhury, president of the Khagrachhari Journalist Union and a district correspondent for the daily Samakal, the same month. Following the political shift on August 5, five separate cases have been filed against him. Among these, four cases were filed by BNP leaders and activists, accusing him of various offenses including attacks on BNP leaders and vandalism of BNP offices. He has also been named in a case related to a clash with anti-discrimination student protesters on August. It is noteworthy that six other journalists from Khagrachhari have also been implicated in these cases.
NOTE: Terming the case as “assault and interference with independent journalism”, journalists in Rangamati have observed a asymbolic strike. They have demanded Pradip Chowdhury’s unconditional release and submitted a memorandum to the chief adviser via Rangamati deputy commissioner, demanding the release of all arrested journalists and withdrawal of false cases.
Type of violation: Arbitrary detention
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.
Type of violation: Bodily injury and assault
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.
Type of violation: Media freedom and censorship
The government revoked permanent and temporary press accreditation cards of 118 more journalists, including editors, reporters, and TV station chief executives. The Press Information Department under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued the latest order on November 7. With this, the number of journalists stripped of their press accreditation stands at 167. Press accreditation cards are a prerequisite for entry into the Secretariat. The Press Information Department previously cancelled accreditation of 20 journalists on October 29 and 29 journalists in the first week of November.
NOTE: The Ministry issued a notice on Thursday (December 19, 2024) that the interim government would reconsider the accreditation cards revoked after the fall of the Awami League government, following written requests from the affected journalists. The reasons for the card cancellations include failure to renew the card for an extended period, issuance of excess cards by the respective organisations, unethical journalism, involvement in political agendas, criminal charges and misuse of accreditation cards for personal gain. The notice also cited “negative roles in student movements” and “incitement to unrest,” as well as affiliation with “fascist” elements and spreading rumours, as factors in the card cancellations.
Type of violation: Enforcement mechanism
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.
Type of violation: Abduction, assault and bodily injury
DBC reporter Jewel Marak was viciously assaulted during a violent clash outside the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) building, where ethnic minority demonstrators faced off against members of Students for Sovereignty.
Marak, a journalist from the Garo community, joined the protest in solidarity with Aggrieved Adivasi Students, who were advocating for the reinstatement of a graffiti illustration featuring the term ‘Adivasi’ on a school textbook cover. The term’s inclusion had sparked heated debate, with Students for Sovereignty opposing it, arguing that it misrepresented historical events. Marak was attacked while trying to protect a fellow Bengali protester. He was brutally beaten with a cricket stump, sustaining severe injuries that later required hospitalization.
Type of violation: Assault and bodily injury, attack against indigenous rights activism
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.
Type of violation: Violation of labor rights related to journalists
Md. Raju Sheikh, a Narail-based journalist and Prothom Alo correspondent, has filed a general diary after receiving death threats and verbal abuse following his report on the vandalism of a memorial and mural at Narail Government Victoria College on January 25. After diligently gathering statements from all relevant parties, Raju published the report on Prothom Alo’s website. Just hours later, he received a call from an unknown number, where the caller verbally abused him and threatened to falsely implicate him in a criminal case if he continued his reporting.
Targeted simply for upholding his journalistic duty, Raju and his family now live in fear. The threats against him have ignited outrage among journalists in Narail, underscoring the escalating risks faced by media professionals for exposing the truth.
Type of violation: Threat
Four journalists were injured in Shariatpur on February 3, 2025 when a group of miscreants attacked them in front of the deputy commissioner’s office, reportedly in retaliation for publishing news on medical negligence at Shariatpur Sadar Hospital. The injured journalists, Sohag Khan Sujan (Samakal), Bidhan Mojumder Oni (News24 Television), Nayan Das (Bangla TV), and Saiful Islam Akash (Desh TV), were assaulted. Witnesses said Sohag was the initial target, and when his colleagues intervened, they were also attacked.
The attack followed reports in various media outlets exposing negligence at the hospital. Earlier that day, Sohag had an argument with clinic owner Nuruzzaman Sheikh at the hospital, which allegedly led to the assault. Sohag was admitted to Shariatpur Sadar Hospital, while the others received primary treatment. Despite allegations that Nuruzzaman and his associates used knives and hammers in the attack, no arrests had been made, and no case had been filed on the same day, according to Palang Model Police Station.
Type of violation: Assault and bodily injury
Four local journalists were violently attacked by a masked group of miscreants while covering an incident in Laxmipur’s Sadar upazila on 3 February, 2025. Among the injured, two were shot, and one remains in critical condition.
The attack took place in the western area near Degree College. The injured journalists are Md Rafiqul Islam, senior member of Laxmipur Press Club and district correspondent of Dainik Khabar; Md Alauddin, General Secretary of Chandraganj Press Club; along with Foisal Mahmud and Abdul Malek Nirab. According to reports, Rafiqul was alerted by a Kuwaiti expatriate about an attack on his residence. As he and three colleagues rushed to the scene, they were ambushed by the assailants. Foisal Mahmud sustained a gunshot wound to the leg, while the others were severely beaten. Locals intervened, notifying the police and rushing the injured to Laxmipur General Hospital. Medical authorities confirmed Rafiqul’s condition as critical, pending further examination to confirm gunshot injuries. Law enforcement had been deployed to the area, and an investigation is underway to identify the attackers.
Type of violation: Assault, attempt to killing
Transgender rights activist Shila was brutally murdered in her home in Betbunia, Rangamati, on the night of February 2, 2025. Her decapitated body, bearing multiple stab wounds, was discovered by neighbors, sending shockwaves through Bangladesh’s human rights and LGBTQ+ communities. According to police reports, five unidentified individuals visited Shila’s home. Concerned neighbors, unable to reach her, broke in the next day and found her lifeless body. Authorities have described the killing as a premeditated act, launching an investigation to track down the perpetrators.
Shila, originally from Hathazari, Chattogram, was a relentless advocate for transgender rights. She fought for legal recognition, healthcare access, and social inclusion for Bangladesh’s transgender and third-gender communities. However, a prominent Bangla media outlet has framed the murder in a way that subtly criminalizes the victim, focusing on her sexual orientation, personal relationships, and alleged involvement in drug dealing. This approach exemplifies gender-insensitive reporting, diverting attention from the brutality of the crime and undermining the broader issue of violence against transgender individuals.
Despite government recognition of third gender individuals in 2013, the community continues to face violence, discrimination, and exclusion from essential services. Shila’s murder adds to the growing list of attacks against transgender individuals in Bangladesh. A 2022 study by the Human Rights Forum Bangladesh (HRFB) found that over 65% of transgender people in the country have faced violence, with most cases going unpunished.
Type of violation: Murder of rights activist
At least three journalists were injured in an attack allegedly carried out by BNP activists at the Supreme Court premises on 5 February 2025. The incident occurred as Javed Akhtar (ATN News), AKM Rafiqul Islam Hasan Jabed (NTV), and Azizul Islam Pannu (Deepto TV) were covering the verdict in the 1994 train attack case involving deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina. A dispute between a young man and the journalists quickly escalated into a physical assault, with BNP activists punching and kicking them before senior party leaders intervened. Javed, also president of the Law Reporters Forum, required medical treatment. In response, journalists boycotted a scheduled briefing and staged a sit-in protest, demanding accountability. BNP’s Media Cell later stated that acting chairman Tarique Rahman condemned the incident and instructed party officials to support the injured journalists. Meanwhile, Jatiotabadi Shecchashebok Dal expelled Mehedi Hasan, Ishwardi Upazila unit member secretary, for his alleged involvement, citing a violation of party discipline.
Type of violation: Assault
Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s detective branch arrested poet and essayist Sohel Hasan Galib 13 February 2025, from Narayanganj, over allegations of making derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad (SM). He was taken to the DB office following his arrest.
Galib was presented before a Dhaka metropolitan magistrate court, which denied his bail and sent him to jail. The detective branch requested a 10-day remand for interrogation, while the court instructed police to submit a report within 7 days regarding the allegations. Galib was reportedly arrested under Section 54 for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through a poem in his latest collection, Amar Khutbaguli, published by Ujan. The publishing house’s stall at the Amar Ekushey Book Fair remained closed for 2 days. In response, 105 writers, academics, rights activists, artistes, and journalists issued a joint statement urging the interim government to release Galib unconditionally and ensure his security. They condemned the arrest as a violation of writers’ freedom and an attack on the democratic environment. Galib, known for his literary works including Dwaipayan Bedanar Theke, Raktamemorandum, and Timire Tarana, now faces legal proceedings amid growing concerns over freedom of expression in Bangladesh.
Type of violation: Violation of freedom of cultural expression
Collaborative Actions for Promoting Digital and Civic Space and
Combating Gender Disinformation
