A leading international press freedom watchdog on Tuesday urged Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to deliver on his electoral pledge to safeguard media freedom, calling for an immediate end to the “partisan persecution of journalists” as his government completed its first 100 days in office. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), headquartered in New York, said meaningful reform had been limited despite repeated assurances from the new administration.

Key Concerns Raised

The CPJ cited a report by Bangladesh's The Daily Star which alleged that police were conducting background checks and profiling journalists across the country. The watchdog said press freedom in Bangladesh has historically been weaponised by each successive government against reporters perceived as aligned with the previous regime.

“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 Kunal Majumder, CPJ Asia-Pacific Program Coordinator.

What the CPJ Wants

Majumder urged the government to release imprisoned journalists, drop politically motivated cases, halt smear campaigns, protect reporters from mob violence and reform enabling laws. “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,” he added.

According to the CPJ, dozens of journalists whose coverage was perceived as sympathetic to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have been detained or charged since August 2024. Authorities, it noted, frequently rely on First Information Reports that name hundreds of accused or unidentified suspects, with multiple parallel cases against single journalists complicating bail.

High-Profile Detentions

The watchdog highlighted the cases of Farzana Rupa, Shakil Ahmed and Mozammel Babu of Bengali broadcaster Ekattor TV, and Shyamal Dutta of the daily Bhorer Kagoj — all detained since August or September 2024. On 11 May 2025, the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh granted bail to Rupa and Ahmed in most cases, but both reportedly remain in custody on other charges.

On 28 May, the day Rahman marked his 100th day in office, an Editors' Council delegation submitted a list of 282 journalists facing politically motivated cases, the CPJ said.

Misuse of War Crimes Tribunal

The organisation also flagged what it described as the increasing deployment of the Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) — established in 2010 to prosecute crimes from the 1971 Liberation War — against working journalists. “At least 25 journalists are under ICT investigation, in many cases for genocide or crimes against humanity tied to their alleged support for the Hasina government,” the CPJ stated.

The Road Ahead

The CPJ called on Dhaka to affirm that “independent journalism is a constitutional right and a democratic necessity” and to ensure accountability for those inciting violence against the press. The next 100 days, observers say, will test whether the Rahman administration treats the watchdog's roadmap as a reform template or as criticism to be deflected.