Months ahead of Bangladesh’s general elections, the country’s media is facing a challenging time as freedom of expression is increasingly overshadowed by concerns over “the right of journalists to stay alive”, editors of several leading Bangladeshi newspapers said, as reported by PTI.
Bangladeshi journalists receive death threats
Daily Star editor and publisher Mahfuz Anam also pointed to social media posts allegedly calling for the hunting and killing of journalists from “Prothom Alo” and “The Daily Star” in their homes.
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The remarks came on Monday after mobs vandalized and set fire to the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star newspapers in Dhaka on Thursday evening, trapping several journalists and staff inside for hours as police and fire fighters were initially prevented from reaching the site, PTI reported.
“Freedom of expression is no longer the main issue. Now it is the right to stay alive,” Anam told a press conference attended by senior politicians, business leaders and media owners, PTI reported.
“The media in Bangladesh is facing a struggle for survival,” he said.
Anam said the attacks were aimed at killing journalists and staff rather than protesting specific newspapers.
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Otherwise, the crowd would have told the reporters to leave before setting fire to the buildings, he said.
Instead, 26-27 media workers were trapped on the roof of The Daily Star building while the fire brigade could not reach them, Anam said.
He also cited messages on social media that allegedly called for journalists from the two dailies to be hunted down and killed in their homes.
Here’s what the police said
Meanwhile, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) defended its delayed intervention, saying immediate action could have worsened the situation.
“The reason we could not go into action there was to ensure that there was no loss of life,” DMP Additional Commissioner Nazrul Islam told reporters.
The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus said nine people had been arrested so far in connection with attacks on the offices of two newspapers and cultural organizations, Chhayanaut and Udichi Shilpi Goshthi, following the death of radical right-wing youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi.
The newspaper was accused by the attackers of “serving the interests” of India and ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
A staunch Indian critic, Hadi, 32, was a key figure in last year’s pro-democracy uprising that toppled Hasina’s Awami League regime on August 5, 2024.
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The 32-year-old spokesman for Inqilab Mancha died last week while undergoing treatment in Singapore. Hadi was a candidate for the general election scheduled for February 12.
While the interim government condemned the attacks, it described the perpetrators as fringe elements, prompting criticism from rights groups and journalists who said authorities had failed to prevent the violence despite pleas for protection.
World Press Freedom Index
Bangladesh ranks 149 out of 180 countries on Reporters Without Borders’ (RSF) World Press Freedom Index 2025, showing a slight increase from previous years, but still in the “very serious” category, with significant recent concerns over intense journalistic attacks, legal threats such as the Cyber Security Act, and continued intimidation by the interim government.
Bangladesh under the Yunus regime
Bangladesh is undergoing a fragile political transition under Muhammad Yunus, aimed at restoring democracy through upcoming elections. However, the Awami League, led by Sheikh Hasina, has long dominated the government and remains one of the two main political forces in the country.
A general view shows the burned-out interior of The Daily Star office in Dhaka on December 19, 2025, amid protests following news of the death of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi. Violence erupted in the Bangladeshi capital early on December 19 after the young leader of the country’s 2024 pro-democracy uprising died in a Singapore hospital after being wounded in an assassination attempt. Several buildings in the capital, including those housing the country’s two leading newspapers, were set on fire and staff were trapped inside, authorities said. (Photo: Abdul Goni / AFP)(AFP)
The media in Bangladesh is facing a struggle for survival.
The other main party is the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Hasina’s long-time rival and former prime minister Khaleda Zia, who hopes to form the next government.
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Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami – the country’s largest Islamist party, known for its controversial role during the 1971 war of independence – leads an alliance seeking to expand its political influence in the absence of Hasa’s party and its allies.
Key things
- The current political climate in Bangladesh poses a significant threat to journalists and press freedom.
- Violent attacks on the media highlight the urgent need for protection and security measures for journalists.
- Social media is used to incite violence against journalists, reflecting wider societal tensions.
