At least 381 journalists across Bangladesh faced violence, harassment, or intimidation in 2025, while three were killed and the bodies of four others were found under mysterious circumstances, according to a new annual report released by the Law and Arbitration Centre (ASK).
The report, published on Wednesday (December 31), is based on monitoring of human rights–related news published in national media, ASK’s own observations, and field-level investigations. It paints a grim picture of the state of press freedom in the country over the past year.
ASK noted that incidents of violence, threats, and legal persecution against journalists reached an alarming level in 2025. While freedom of expression and the right to information are fundamental pillars of a democratic system, the lived experiences of journalists this year pointed to a contrasting reality. Media professionals were targeted by both state and non-state actors while carrying out their professional duties, undermining not only their personal safety but also media freedom and democratic space.
According to the report, between January and December 2025, at least 381 journalists were subjected to various forms of abuse. Among them, at least 23 journalists were harassed, threatened, or tortured by law enforcement agencies, while 20 received death threats. A total of 123 journalists faced legal action over published reports or opinions, and 118 were directly attacked while on duty.
During the same period, three journalists were killed by miscreants, and the bodies of four journalists were recovered from different parts of the country under suspicious circumstances.
Regionally, the highest number of incidents was recorded in Dhaka, where 92 journalists were affected, followed by Chattogram with 53, Gazipur with 20, Rangpur and Cumilla with 21 each, and Barishal with 12. The remaining 162 cases were reported from other districts.
The report highlights the arrest of journalist Anis Alamgir as a significant example of legal harassment in 2025. He was detained overnight at the Detective Branch (DB) office in Dhaka and later shown arrested in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act. After being produced before a court, he was placed on a five-day remand. The case alleged that he had promoted “propaganda to bring back the Awami League” through social media and television talk shows. ASK expressed concern over the arrest, describing it as a dangerous precedent for suppressing dissent and criminalising criticism of the government.
Another widely discussed incident occurred on December 7, when senior journalist and former National Press Club president Shawkat Mahmud was taken into DB custody from the capital’s Malibagh area. He was later shown arrested in a terrorism-related case filed earlier in September, allegedly involving a conspiracy to overthrow the interim government. His arrest raised questions about the safety of journalistic and political expression, given his dual role as a journalist and a politically active figure.
The report also referred to incidents following a press conference at the Ministry of Cultural Affairs on April 28, where journalists raised questions about issues including the renaming of the Mangal Shobhajatra, UNESCO recognition, the use of masks resembling a former prime minister, and the number of casualties during the July–August uprising. After heated exchanges, social media posts called for action against three television journalists, threatening protests against their media houses. Soon after, all three reportedly lost their jobs.
Additionally, ASK cited media reports stating that at least 137 journalists were named as accused in 32 criminal cases filed in Dhaka, Chattogram, Bogura, and Rajshahi in connection with the July uprising. In some cases, journalists were even charged under the Explosives Act. This occurred despite the formation of an eight-member committee in October 2024 to monitor harassment cases against journalists.
ASK concluded that violence and legal persecution against journalists in 2025 were not isolated incidents but part of a broader structural trend. Harassment by state institutions and political forces poses a direct threat to democracy, transparency, and accountable governance. Ensuring journalists’ safety, legal protection, and state tolerance of dissent is now an urgent necessity to safeguard the free flow of information and public-interest journalism.
