The report also accuses Dr Yunus of weaponising state institutions to stifle dissent. The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), which had not been used against journalists under Hasina, reportedly issued notices to 107 journalists over the past year
Representational Image. Pic/Pixabay
Press freedom in Bangladesh has sharply deteriorated under the leadership of Chief Advisor Dr Mohammad Yunus, with attacks on journalists rising by over 230% in the past year, according to a report released on Sunday by the Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG).
Titled "Bangladesh: Media Freedom Murdered By Dr Mohammad Yunus", the report marks one year since the fall of the former Sheikh Hasina-led government. It alleges that from August 2024 to July 2025, 878 journalists were targeted under Dr Yunus’s interim administration — a dramatic increase compared to 383 journalists targeted during the corresponding period under Hasina’s tenure.
RRAG Director Suhas Chakma said the repression has taken multiple forms. “Criminal cases against journalists surged by 558% under Dr Yunus, with 195 cases filed in the last year, compared to 35 cases in the previous period,” Chakma said. “Furthermore, 167 journalists were denied accreditation, largely for alleged affiliations with the previous regime.”
The report also accuses Dr Yunus of weaponising state institutions to stifle dissent. The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), which had not been used against journalists under Hasina, reportedly issued notices to 107 journalists over the past year.
Acts of violence and criminal intimidation have also increased. While 348 journalists faced such threats during Hasina's rule — particularly during the July 2024 uprising — the number rose to 431 under the current administration, the report claims.
The deteriorating media environment has also led to high-profile incidents, including the murder of journalist Khandaker Shah Alam of Daily Matrijagat in Dhaka’s Nabinagar Upazila on June 25. On July 27, arrest warrants were issued against Bangladesh Pratidin editor Naem Nizam, publisher Moynal Hossain Chowdhury, and Bangla Insider editor Syed Borhan Kabir under the Digital Security Act (DSA), despite previous assurances by Law Adviser Asif Nazrul that DSA cases had been withdrawn.
On April 21, journalist Kongkon Karmaker was dismissed from The Daily Star as Dinajpur correspondent reportedly because one of his stories — about the death of a religious minority man — was picked up by Indian media and India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
Chakma further criticised the formation of the “CA Press Wing Facts,” which he described as a de facto censorship body. “It manufactures the government’s version of truth, intimidates independent media, and disseminates disinformation against critical voices, including NGOs like RRAG,” he said.
RRAG also raised concerns over foreign support to the interim government’s communications apparatus. The British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has provided £474,468 under the Bangladesh-Collaborative, Accountable and Peaceful Politics (B-CAPP) programme to strengthen strategic communications. However, Chakma said this funding now appears to be bolstering the controversial “CA Press Wing Facts.”
“Globally, government-controlled fact-checking units have become tools to suppress freedom of expression. The UK’s support to such a mechanism in Bangladesh sets a dangerous precedent,” Chakma warned.
The group said it plans to appeal to the UK Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights and other international bodies to reconsider bilateral assistance to Bangladesh in light of the deteriorating media environment.
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