Dhaka, December 21, 2025 —
UK-based international human rights organization Amnesty International has called for the immediate release of senior journalist Anis Alamgir, who was recently arrested under Bangladesh’s Anti-Terrorism Act. Amnesty said the case reflects a troubling pattern of using counterterrorism laws to target individuals for exercising their right to freedom of expression.
In a statement published on December 18, Amnesty International said the use of anti-terrorism legislation to suppress dissent violates international standards on freedom of expression and association. A Bangladeshi news portal has also published detailed reports highlighting concerns over the arrest and its broader implications for press freedom.
The organization noted that in May this year, the interim government amended the Anti-Terrorism Act and banned the activities of the Awami League. Since the amendment, the law has increasingly been used against individuals identified as Awami League supporters, including journalists. Another journalist, Manzurul Alam Panna, has also faced legal action under the same law. Amnesty warned that using counterterrorism laws to curb political expression constitutes a violation of international law.
Following Anis Alamgir’s arrest and his five-day remand, widespread condemnation has come from both domestic and international organizations. Journalists’ associations, the Editors’ Council, PEN Bangladesh, and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) described the arrest as a serious attack on press freedom and freedom of speech. They demanded his unconditional release and an end to what they termed state harassment.
The organizations said summoning a journalist to the Detective Branch without specific charges, detaining him, and then filing a case later is unacceptable and reminiscent of past authoritarian repression.
On December 15, a Dhaka court granted five days’ remand for Anis Alamgir under the Anti-Terrorism Act. After the remand period ended, the court sent him to jail on December 20.
The case was filed at Uttara West Police Station by Arian Ahmed, a central organizer of the July Revolutionary Alliance. The complaint accused Anis Alamgir of attempting to “rehabilitate” the banned Awami League through television talk shows and social media discussions after August 5. It alleged that such commentary inspired members of banned student and youth organizations to destabilize the state and engage in acts of sabotage and conspiracy.
During the court hearing, Anis Alamgir rejected the allegations, stating that he is a journalist whose duty is to question those in power. He said he had never spoken on behalf of any political party and had taken similar positions even during previous governments. He told the court that his comments were being deliberately misrepresented to implicate him under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
“I am not a beneficiary of power,” he said, adding that the case appeared to be politically motivated.
Anis Alamgir is not alone. Shawkat Mahmood, a five-time president of the National Press Club, is also currently in jail under the Anti-Terrorism Act and was placed on a five-day remand earlier this month. He has been accused of conspiring to overthrow the interim government, allegedly in collaboration with a Bangladeshi-origin US citizen. Shawkat Mahmood denied the allegations, stating in court that he had no reason to conspire against a government that had withdrawn 60 cases against him after assuming power.
In another case, police arrested Mehedi Hasan, a journalist from Gopalganj’s Tungipara, on November 6 under the Anti-Terrorism Act. He was accused of involvement in terrorist activities linked to banned student and youth organizations. Local journalists expressed concern and demanded his release.
Journalist Manzurul Alam Panna, who was released on bail on November 12 after being detained under the same law, said that 354 cases have been filed against journalists over the past one and a half years under the current administration—a historic record.
“Journalists are not just a target of this government; they are one of its primary targets,” he said, comparing the current use of the Anti-Terrorism Act to the previous government’s use of the Digital Security Act.
He also raised alarm over the alleged use of detention without trial, including against minors whose ages are reportedly increased to apply the Anti-Terrorism Act—calling it an extremely dangerous practice.
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said successive governments have attempted to silence the media, but expectations were high that such repression would end after August 5.
“Instead, media freedom continues to be curtailed—earlier through the Digital Security Act, now through the Anti-Terrorism Act,” he said, warning that this sets a dangerous precedent for future governments.
Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) President and senior Supreme Court advocate Manzil Morshed said filing anti-terrorism cases against journalists violates their constitutional right to freedom of expression, which is a fundamental right.
Legal experts have questioned whether journalistic commentary can reasonably fall under the definition of terrorism. Supreme Court lawyer Naznin Nahar said Anis Alamgir’s remarks were intended as warnings against violence, not incitement. Another lawyer, Morshed Hossain Shaheen, said the law is being used because it is non-bailable and carries severe punishment, making it an effective tool to silence journalists.
State prosecutors, however, defended the use of the law, claiming the journalist’s statements encouraged terrorist activity. Critics argue such interpretations dangerously blur the line between journalism and terrorism.
Background of the Anti-Terrorism Act:
Bangladesh’s Anti-Terrorism Act was enacted in 2009 in response to nationwide bombings and rising security threats, with the aim of combating extremist violence and protecting state sovereignty. Amendments in 2012 and 2013 expanded the law to include digital evidence and social media content. The law allows the government to ban organizations deemed terrorist and makes offenses non-bailable, with punishments ranging up to life imprisonment or the death penalty.
As arrests of journalists under this law continue, rights groups warn that the misuse of counterterrorism legislation poses a grave threat to press freedom and democratic space in Bangladesh.
