Will Bangladesh prioritise press freedom in its democratic renewal? RSF issues policy recommendations to new government

February saw the first parliamentary election since the "Monsoon Revolution" of July and August 2024, which brought an end to Sheikh Hasina's 15 years in power. After 18 months of an interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, on 13 February 2026 the electoral commission declared the victory of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Tariq Rahman. While reforms have been announced, the extent to which concrete measures to improve press freedom will be implemented remains unclear.

Since August and September 2024, five journalists have been detained and are still awaiting trial. More than 140 media professionals are facing baseless legal charges, some of which are particularly serious, notably the accusations of killing protesters and, for at least 25 of them, alleged "crimes against humanity."These prosecutions, which carry heavy penalties and fuel a climate of fear among reporters, hamper news coverage and help destroy the media's role as a counterweight to power.

These lawsuits exacerbate the repressive legal arsenal used against news professionals, which often relies on the 2006 Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Act, the 2018 Digital Security Act (DSA) and the 2023 Cybersecurity Act (CSA), to silence critical voices. The lack of justice for crimes committed against journalistsfosters a climate of impunity and encourages further attacks.

RSF Recommendations to the new government of Bangladesh:

RSF calls on the authorities to implement the following six measures without delay:

1. Immediately release the five journalists still awaiting trial and guarantee their right to a fair judicial process: Farzana Rupaand Shakil Ahmad(Ekattor TV), Mozammel Babu(Ekattor TV), Shahriar Kabir (freelance journalist) and Shyamal Dutta(Bhorer Kagoj).
2. End the baseless prosecutions targeting more than 140 journalists and media professionals, particularly those based on serious charges such as the murder of protesters or "crimes against humanity," and cease arbitrary detentions and prosecutions.
3. Dismiss the cases filed against journalists under the previous government of Sheikh Hasina, particularly those based on the ICT (2006), DSA (2018), and CSA (2023) laws, which have been used to suppress voices critical of the government.
4. Repeal these laws and implement reforms in line with international standards on freedom of expression and the press.
5. End impunity for crimes against journalists, guarantee the safety of media professionals and ensure the free practice of journalism.
6. Enact a law to protect journalists, providing legal safeguards for journalists and media outlets, including protection against reprisals, mechanisms for filing complaints and a provision making investigations into cases of threats and attacks mandatory.