878 Journalists Targeted Under Bangladesh's Interim Government; 230% Rise in Attacks: Rights Body

New Delhi: A new report by the New Delhi-based Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) has revealed that 878 journalists were targeted over the past year in Bangladesh under the interim government led by Chief Advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus. This marks a staggering 230% increase in attacks compared to the previous year under former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

In its report titled “Bangladesh: Media Freedom Murdered by Dr. Muhammad Yunus,” released on Monday to mark one year since the fall of the Hasina-led Awami League government, the rights group said press freedom in Bangladesh has significantly worsened between August 2024 and July 2025.

RRAG Director Suhas Chakma provided further insights, stating:

• 195 criminal cases were filed against journalists during the Yunus administration—a 558% increase from the 35 cases recorded under Hasina’s tenure from August 2023 to July 2024.

• 167 journalists were denied accreditation under the interim government, in what RRAG claims was a punitive move against those perceived to be aligned with the previous regime.

• The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), which had not been used against journalists under Hasina, issued notices to 107 journalists under Yunus.

Chakma further noted that 431 journalists faced violence and criminal intimidation under the current interim government, compared to 348 cases during the Hasina regime, most of which occurred during the July 2024 uprising.

The report also cited several specific incidents highlighting the decline in press freedom:

• On June 25, 2025, journalist Khandaker Shah Alam, a correspondent for Daily Matrijagat, was murdered in Nabinagar Upazila, reportedly in a revenge attack by a local criminal named ‘Tiger Babul Dakat’.

• On July 27, 2025, the Cyber Tribunal of Dhaka issued arrest warrants under the Digital Security Act (DSA) against Bangladesh Pratidin editor Naem Nizam, its publisher Moynal Hossain Chowdhury, and Bangla Insider chief editor Syed Borhan Kabir, despite earlier government claims that all DSA cases had been withdrawn.

• On April 21, 2025, The Daily Star dismissed its Dinajpur correspondent Kongkon Karmaker after his report on the death of a religious minority figure, Bhabesh Chandra Roy, was widely circulated by Indian media and taken up by India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

The report also accuses Dr. Yunus of establishing a de facto censorship body known as ‘CA Press Wing Facts’, aimed at controlling the media narrative, spreading disinformation, and intimidating both media organizations and NGOs, including RRAG itself.

In response to these developments, RRAG announced it will approach international bodies, including the UK Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights, to request a review of support for Bangladesh’s interim government. The group is also calling for reconsideration of bilateral cooperation due to what it calls the “total silencing” of the country’s press.

With inputs from IANS