INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Bangladeshi journalists are hoping the resignation of the prime minister Sheikh Hasina will bring an era of censorship and fear to an end,
legitimacy.Sobhan said he constantly feared his journalists would be attacked by officials and security forces and did not have faith in the
judiciary providing protection
predecessor Khaleda Zia first introduced the Information and Communication Technology Act in 2006, which covered digital communication and
restricted media freedoms
This was replaced in 2018 by the harsher Digital Security Act, which has been most associated with the suppression of the media under
and exploited to allow a crackdown on dissent.The Dhaka-based thinktank the Centre for Governance Studies, said 7,000 cases were filed under
the act between 2018 and 2023, including 255 against journalists for their reporting.Of those, 155 journalists were charged under section 25
Security Act was replaced last year with the Cybersecurity Act, which Amnesty International said was almost identical to the previous
law.Amnesty International this week called on the new interim government to repeal all laws that restrict freedom of expression.Taqbir Huda,
repealing laws such as the CSA, which threaten and undermine the rights to freedom of expression, liberty and privacy in
would frequently reject his articles without explanation
His investigations into human rights abuses and reports of extrajudicial killings attracted threats from security forces.skip past
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We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotionRashid had
to spend several months abroad at one point, fearing he would be picked up by authorities and potentially disappeared
because they are now free and are trying to expose the lost stories [of the past]
Borders ranked Bangladesh the 15th worst country in the world for press freedom in 2024.The recent student protests, sparked by anger over
an unequal system for allocated government jobs, saw further challenges to media freedom, with a media blackout for days and the deaths of
three journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.Safety concerns have not been limited to journalists in Dhaka
Journalists in other parts of the country have struggled to hold to account local officials without facing repercussions.Sumon Chowdhury,
45, who reports from the city of Barisal for the national daily the Samakal, said the looting and reprisal attacks against police and Awami
But once this chaos settles, I hope the journalistic community remains united, sending any government a clear message that journalism must
be free from intimidation and corruption
This article first appeared/also appeared in theguardian.com
