The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Monday, 22 June called on Bangladeshi authorities to withdraw all charges against six journalists from the daily Agrajatra Pratidin, asserting that the reporters had been criminalised for public-interest coverage of political corruption. The New York-based press freedom organisation expressed grave concern over the use of Bangladesh's Cyber Security Act 2026, alongside allegations of criminal defamation, extortion, and criminal intimidation, to silence the press.

The Case Against the Journalists

The criminal complaint was filed by Bogura Press Club Treasurer Tanvir Alam Rimon and stems from the newspaper's reporting on alleged corruption involving Bangladesh's State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam. Among those targeted, journalist Rezanur Islam was detained, while five colleagues face formal charges. The CPJ characterised the action as a direct attempt to punish reporters for holding a government official to account.

'The detention of Rezanur Islam and charges against five other Agrajatra Pratidin journalists for their reporting on allegations of corruption against a government minister are a blatant act of intimidation,' said Kunal Majumder, CPJ's Asia-Pacific programme coordinator. 'Authorities must drop these charges and stop weaponising cyber and criminal defamation laws against the press,' he added.

Broader Pattern of Press Suppression

The CPJ noted that the case is not an isolated incident. According to the organisation, a documented rise in physical attacks on media outlets, threats, and harassment linked to political polarisation has been recorded across Bangladesh in recent years. Dozens of journalists whose coverage was perceived as sympathetic to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have reportedly been detained or charged since August 2024.

This comes amid a wider pattern that the CPJ has described as successive governments turning the law against journalists associated with the preceding administration — a cycle the organisation says has yet to be broken under the current dispensation.

CPJ's Appeal to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman

Earlier this month, the CPJ had already urged Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to honour his electoral pledge to protect media freedom, following his government's first 100 days in office. The appeal came after Bangladesh's The Daily Star reported that police were conducting background checks and profiling journalists across the country.

'Press freedom in Bangladesh has too often been treated as an opportunity for each new government to turn the law against journalists allegedly aligned with the previous administration. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's government pledged to be different — but 100 days in, meaningful progress remains limited,' said Majumder.

What the CPJ Is Demanding

The CPJ has outlined a concrete set of actions it expects from the Dhaka government: releasing imprisoned journalists, dropping politically motivated cases, ending political vendettas against the press, protecting reporters from mob violence, halting smear campaigns, and reforming laws that enable such actions. 'These steps would ensure the same standard is applied to every journalist, regardless of who they are perceived to support. That is what breaking the cycle looks like,' Majumder said. Whether the Rahman administration responds meaningfully will be closely watched by international press freedom monitors in the weeks ahead.