Bangladesh: Journalist detained under anti-terrorism act during roundtable

Journalist Monjurul Alam Panna was among 16 people taken into custody by police in Dhaka on August 28, with a case filed under Bangladesh's Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Bangladesh Manobadhikar Sangbadik Forum (BMSF), demand a full and fair investigation and a speedy judicial process to ensure people are not unlawfully detained.

Journalist Monjurul Alam Panna was detained by police in Dhaka on August 28 under Bangladesh's Anti-Terrorism Act. Credit: Facebook

Panna was arrestedwhile attending a discussion titled 'Our Great Liberation War and the Constitution of Bangladesh,' at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity. It is reported that the event was organised by a group called Mancha 71. The arrests took place after the event was disruptedby a group of protestors who had allegedly issued threats on social media to stop the program. Police deployed to the scene detained Panna and other attendees, including a former Awami League minister Abdul Latif Siddique and Dhaka University law professor Sheikh Hafizur Rahman.

Since May 2025, the interim government of Bangladesh has banned all activities of the Awami League - the party of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted last year after a student-led uprising. The interim cabinet, headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has advised that the ban on the party will remain in place until the trial of the party and its leadership over the deaths of hundreds of protesters under the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, or ICT Act, is completed.

During a hearing at Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate on August 29, Panna was broughtbefore the court wearing a helmet and a bulletproof vest. The investigating officer of the case, Sub-Inspector Toufiq Hasan, submitted a petition to the court of Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sarah Farzana, requesting the ongoing detention of those taken into custody while investigations into the gathering continued. Magistrate Sarah Farzana granted the plea and ordered all 16 into custody. The journalist was later transferred to Keraniganj Central Jail in Dhaka following the ruling. A number of journalists, human rights activists, and legal experts have condemnedthe charges and called for the release of the 16 individuals.

The South Asia Press Freedom Report 2024-25 documented that trustin Bangladesh's media remains low after a decade of authoritarian rule, and with the country's media industry also riven by political loyalties. Under the Hasina regime, journalists were routinely and frequently targeted for expressing critical views under the ATA, the Digital Security Act, and Information and Communication Technology Act.

The BMSF said: "BMSF demands Monjurul Alam Panna's immediate release and calls on the authorities to ensure justice."

The IFJ said: "The interim government and the legislature must ensure that any investigations are conducted swiftly and transparently and to ensure that journalists are not unduly targeted or held in custody."

Note: Pending further investigations by the IFJ, a statement on the recent death of journalist Bibhuranjan Sarkarpublished on August 26 has been withdrawn.