Alarm bells ring loud in Bangladesh as the interim government, headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, allegedly misuses anti-terrorism frameworks to clamp down on the press. Investigative reports detail a systematic campaign ensnaring 640 journalists by December 2025 through prosecutions, economic harassment, and brutality.
This strategy, decried as the regime’s darkest hour, involves pre-approved arrests leaving reporters in limbo without hearings, burdened by charges as wild as homicide.
Spotlight falls on cases like that of Dhaka journalist Anis Almgir, arrested December 14 for online policy barbs now framed as terror acts—he remains jailed. Echoing this, Monjurul Alam Panna was detained August 28 over a lawful constitutional panel discussion, flouting free speech protections.
Government rebuttals insist zero cases arise from criticism, with full writing liberty affirmed. Yet, observers decry this as ‘juridical weaponization,’ distinct from overt gags by leveraging institutions duty-bound to defend journalism.
The law’s arsenal includes no-warrant detentions, 24-day custody probes, and lifetime terms. Its elastic terror definition ropes in public alarm or administrative sabotage, turning scrutiny into subversion.
Self-censorship reigns in Dhaka’s media hubs. A top editor, anonymously, voiced raw fear of reprisal, noting widespread survivalist silence. December saw violence erupt: vigilante arson gutted The Daily Star and Prothom Alo offices, fueled by claims of pro-India, pro-Hasina bias.
This assault on truth-tellers imperils Bangladesh’s fragile democracy amid political flux. Global bodies demand accountability, stressing that quashing dissent invites chaos and forfeits international credibility.