CPJ Issues 10 Recommendations to End Press Oppression

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has formally urged Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to fulfil his electoral commitments regarding press freedom by dismantling the cycle of media oppression in Bangladesh. This appeal was detailed in a report published on the CPJ website on Tuesday, 2 June 2026, marking the completion of the current administration’s first 100 days in office.

Political Transitions and Media Vulnerability

Bangladesh has experienced leadership transitions under three distinct administrations over the past two years. The long-standing government of Sheikh Hasina was ousted in August 2024, leading to the formation of an interim government led by Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus. Subsequently, following the general elections held in February 2026, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) assumed office, with Tarique Rahman becoming the Prime Minister.

The CPJ highlighted that during each political shift, journalists faced detention, prosecution, surveillance, physical assaults, and smear campaigns, frequently due to perceived loyalties to preceding administrations. A recent report by The Daily Star noted that police forces nationwide have been conducting background verifications and compiling profiles on journalists.

Kunal Majumder, CPJ’s Asia-Pacific Programme Coordinator, observed that successive Bangladeshi administrations have consistently used state machinery against journalists associated with former regimes. He remarked that despite Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s pledges of systemic change, there has been negligible meaningful progress during the government’s first 100 days.

Chronology of Institutional Letters Issued by CPJ

Ten Key Recommendations Proposed by CPJ

To guarantee comprehensive press freedom, the CPJ outlined ten specific areas requiring immediate legislative and executive action from the government:

1. Cessation of Legal Proceedings and Arbitrary Detentions

The government must review politically motivated lawsuits, halt the practice of filing mass First Information Reports (FIRs), and ensure that journalists are not denied bail. Specific reference was made to Farjana Rupa, Shakil Ahmed, and Mozammel Babu of Ekattor TV, alongside Shyamal Dutta of Bhorer Kagoj, all of whom have been detained since August or September 2024. Although the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh granted bail to Farjana Rupa and Shakil Ahmed in the majority of their cases on 11 May 2026, they remain incarcerated due to pending charges.

2. Safeguards against International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Misuse

The state must ensure journalistic work is not categorized as genocide or crimes against humanity within the International Crimes Tribunal. Furthermore, existing cases before the tribunal involving journalists require independent judicial review.

3. Accountability for Crimes Against the Press

Transparent, impartial, and non-capital investigations must be launched into all incidents of journalist homicides, assaults, surveillance, and harassment, irrespective of which administration was in power when the events occurred.

4. Protection from Targeted Violence

Journalists and media outlets continue to face systemic hostility from organized groups and partisan supporters. In December 2025, the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star were subjected to arson and physical attacks, briefly trapping journalists inside burning newsrooms and forcing both publications to temporarily suspend print and digital operations.

During 2025, the CPJ documented at least ten separate incidents of violence against journalists covering political demonstrations, primarily perpetrated by members or affiliates of the BNP and its student wing, the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal. The CPJ insists that the government must publicly condemn these actions and direct law enforcement to prosecute perpetrators regardless of political affiliation.

5. Cyber Law Reform and Dismissal of Cases

Past and current cyber legislation has frequently functioned as instruments of media suppression. The CPJ recommended amending these statutes to conform to international norms and reviewing all outstanding cyber-related cases against media professionals with a view to their dismissal.

6. Prevention of Misuse of Security Laws

Statutes including the Anti-Terrorism Act 2009, the Special Powers Act 1974, and the Official Secrets Act 1923 have frequently been used to detain journalists. In December 2025, journalist Anis Alamgir was arrested under anti-terrorism provisions following televised commentaries and social media posts, though he was later released on bail. In May 2021, Rozina Islam was detained under the Official Secrets Act on allegations of espionage and document theft. The CPJ calls for these laws to be repealed or thoroughly revised to narrow the definition of terrorism and introduce explicit exemptions for public-interest journalism.

7. Withdrawal of the Proposed Media Commission Ordinance

The draft National Broadcasting Commission and National Media Commission Ordinances of 2026 risk creating regulatory bodies capable of controlling broadcast and print media, echoing frameworks utilized during the tenure of Sheikh Hasina. Although the Media Reform Commission established by the interim government formulated significant recommendations regarding press independence, these have yet to be enforced. The government is urged to reject the ordinances in their current form and implement the commission’s recommendations via a transparent, multi-stakeholder framework.

8. Structural Overhaul of Punitive Legislation and Surveillance Systems

The CPJ advised the total repeal or fundamental amendment of the Official Secrets Act 1923, the abolition of criminal defamation provisions within the Penal Code 1860, and structural alterations to the Special Powers Act 1974 to prevent arbitrary detentions. Additionally, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulation Act 2001 must be amended to mandate independent judicial oversight for electronic interception, thereby ending warrantless state surveillance by security agencies.

9. Reform of Press Accreditation and Protection Against SLAPPs

The present methodology for revoking press accreditations must be overhauled to prevent arbitrary cancellations. Concurrently, statutory protections must be introduced to shield journalists from Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs).

10. Eradication of Targeted Smear Campaigns

The administration must take a decisive public stance against smear campaigns that label journalists as “pro-India,” “anti-Islam,” “traitors,” or agents of the former regime. Such rhetoric compromises journalist safety, intimidates sources, and has previously driven numerous media professionals into exile. The government must repeatedly affirm that independent journalism is a constitutionally protected right and hold accountable those who use defamatory rhetoric to incite violence against the press.