In an exclusive interview with Dastagir Jahangir for The Voice news platform, Charlotte Jacquemart, Senior Editor of Swiss Public Radio and renowned economist and journalist, spoke out against the ongoing crackdown on press freedom in Bangladesh, following her recent visit to the country. Jacquemart’s insights shed light on the escalating situation for journalists, describing it as more intense and unprecedented than previous regimes.
Dastagir Jahangir: “How does the current crackdown on press freedom compare to previous regimes in Bangladesh, and what makes it unprecedented?”
Charlotte Jacquemart: “it was never an easy job in Bangladesh, but what is different now is that we have like kind of a clean thing almost, I would call it. Like, in fact, the most senior journalists, the most secular journalists and liberal journalists are being persecuted by this government. And this is, I would say, to an extent, which I at least have not seen, and I have been in the country, you know, on and off for the last 20 years.
Most senior journalists, secular ones, you know, are charged with murders. They haven’t committed, of course. They are harassed, they are threatened. A few hundreds already have lost their jobs, which means no income for their family, no money. Their accounts have been frozen. So this is really more than, you know, we have seen in the past. And it seems like really the UNOS government wants to silence these journalists. It seems a little bit like what we see sometimes in autocracies, you know, in autocratic systems, that whoever is not with you is considered being against you, and you try to silence them. But that’s of course not what journalists should be able to do. You know, you should actually welcome journalists who are maybe criticizing you sometimes.”
Dastagir Jahangir: “So, what do you think press freedom means, especially in this context?”
Charlotte Jacquemart: “But that would, you know, be what press freedom means. And this is not being done under the Yunus government. On the contrary, these people have to hide. I have spoken to many journalists in Dhaka three weeks ago. Many of them are hiding. Many have different charges against them, murder charges, sometimes happening on the same day, at the same time, in different places in Dhaka. So it’s obvious, you know, these journalists have been working in their media stations. They have not been killing people on the road. Nevertheless, they have to fight these charges now and have lost their jobs. Probably can’t work as journalists ever again in the country.”
In the interview, Jacquemart emphasized the severity of the situation in Bangladesh, where many journalists now find themselves under siege by government accusations that threaten their careers and safety. She concluded that this crackdown poses significant challenges not only for press freedom but also for Bangladesh’s image on the international stage.