Bangladesh remains “in crisis” for freedom of expression, rights group ARTICLE 19 told the U.N. Human Rights Council on Tuesday, warning that journalists and civil society face escalating threats despite reforms introduced by the country’s interim authorities.
Speaking at the Council’s 60th Session in Geneva, ARTICLE 19 said its Global Expression Report continues to rank Bangladesh among the most restrictive states for free speech. The group urged Dhaka to guarantee a safe environment ahead of national elections due in February 2026.
The fall of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in July 2024, after mass protests, triggered a political reset and led to the repeal of the country’s widely criticized Cybersecurity Law.
But ARTICLE 19 cautioned that new draft laws under consideration could curb rights further by criminalising protected speech, enabling sweeping content takedowns, expanding state surveillance, and weakening transparency and due process.
“Bangladesh cannot move forward without dismantling the entrenched impunity for violence against the press,” ARTICLE 19 said.
The group cited the 2012 killings of journalists Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi, whose murder remains unsolved despite repeated U.N. appeals for accountability.
UN experts previously described the failure to investigate as part of an “appalling and pervasive” climate of impunity.
Two more journalists – Asaduzzaman Tuhin and Khandaker Shah Alam – were killed this year, underscoring the dangers for reporters in the country.
ARTICLE 19 also warned of gender-specific threats to women journalists, who face workplace harassment, online rape threats and physical attacks, often compounded by intersecting discrimination.
The group called on the interim government to reform its legal framework to align with international human rights standards and to ensure impartial, thorough and independent investigations into all attacks on journalists, taking into account gendered and intersectional risks.
As the country heads for elections in February 2026, it is essential that the interim government ensures an enabling environment for the right to freedom of expression and information and protects journalists and civil society actors, ARTICLE 19 said.
Source : The Chittagong Hill Tracts
