Dhaka, May 11, 2025 – Bangladesh’s media landscape is undergoing a severe crisis as journalists face escalating threats, dismissals, and violence linked to the controversial July Movement. The latest target is Shamsur Rahman Momen, CEO of Independent Television, who has been named on a “hit list” by radical activists after airing a documentary that offered a critical view of the movement.
The documentary, reportedly produced under Momen’s direction and narrated in English by his wife, has drawn fierce backlash. It was allegedly distributed to international embassies in an attempt to garner support for the Awami League. A Facebook page associated with the most extreme faction of the July Movement accused the documentary of portraying the movement as a terrorist campaign, sparking calls for action against Momen and his media outlet.
The post has triggered public hostility and even incited attacks against Independent TV—echoing tactics used in the past to silence dissenting media voices. Reports suggest that journalists within Independent TV may have leaked the documentary’s internal details to activist pages, further endangering their own colleagues.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Information and the interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, are being accused of inaction—or even complicity. Despite repeated incidents of mob violence against journalists and media houses, no meaningful steps have been taken to ensure press safety.
Since the July Movement began, media professionals have been under growing pressure to conform to its narrative. Journalists who deviate from the approved storyline face threats, harassment, or job loss. Recently, four reporters were fired after posing difficult questions to interim cultural advisor Mostafa Sarwar Faruqi. Among them were Rahman Mizan of Deepto TV and Fazle Rabbi of ATN Bangla.
Attacks have escalated across the country. Press clubs, newspaper offices, and TV stations—such as Chittagong Press Club, Kaler Kantho, and Radio Capital—have been vandalized or set on fire. Prominent journalist Shyamal Dutta was even prevented from leaving the country. Multiple arrests of high-profile journalists have occurred, including Ekattor TV’s Farzana Rupa, Shakil Ahmed, Mozammel Babu, and Bhorer Kagoj editor Shyamal Dutta, who were all linked to a controversial murder case.
According to the Indian Research and Reporting Agency (IRRA), a staggering 640 journalists have been targeted in the last eight months under the current administration—a record-setting assault on media freedom in Bangladesh. IRRA Director Suhas Chakma remarked that “after Awami League supporters, journalists are now the most vulnerable group in Yunus’ Bangladesh.”
Although the controversial Digital Security Act was repealed after the July Movement, a new wave of repression through intimidation and violence has created a climate of fear. Bangladesh now ranks 165th in the 2024 Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders—the lowest in South Asia.
Critics argue that the Yunus government is actively supporting the agitators, filing cases and facilitating arrests to control media narratives. This alleged collaboration between state actors and activists poses a direct threat to the independence of journalism in the country.
As the situation worsens, the international community is being urged to intervene and protect Bangladesh’s press freedom before it deteriorates further.