After previously threatening journalists in Rajshahi, Hasnat Abdullah, the chief organizer of the southern region of the National Citizens’ Party (NCP), has now threatened the country’s leading media group, Bashundhara Media.
He issued this threat at 9:40 PM on Sunday (July 6) in a comment on a report by Kaler Kantho.
Hasnat wrote:
“I threatened Bashundhara Media, not the journalists.”
Earlier, around 8 PM, while participating in an NCP rally marching from the Railgate area to Zero Point in Rajshahi city, he said:
“We have not forgotten the role Bashundhara Media played in favor of killer Hasina. Once again, Bashundhara Group’s journalists have shamelessly taken to the field to legitimize crimes. They are conspiring to create another 1/11 situation. The people will never tolerate this.”
Journalists’ persecution in Bangladesh
Bangladesh has long been criticized for its poor record on press freedom. Journalists regularly face threats, harassment, lawsuits under restrictive laws like the Digital Security Act, physical attacks, and even enforced disappearances. Media outlets often operate under intense political and corporate pressure, forcing many journalists into self-censorship. International watchdogs like Reporters Without Borders and Human Rights Watch have repeatedly expressed concern about the shrinking space for independent journalism in the country.
Hasnat Abdullah’s recent statements underscore the dangerous environment for media professionals in Bangladesh, where public threats and incitement against journalists and media houses remain a serious risk to press freedom and the safety of those working in the news industry.
