Journalists have faced harassment in Bangladesh throughout its history.

Independent journalism has always been a struggle in Bangladesh. Regardless of which government holds power, journalists have encountered harassment,

arrest, or intimidation for reporting critically. This reality is reflected in data from the Sweden-based research institute Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem). According to V-Dem, since independence, journalists have regularly faced punishment for critical reporting more than half the time. Many have been compelled to leave the profession. This pattern has persisted under every regime. The situation for journalists in Bangladesh has been extremely challenging for 27 out of the 55 years. Among these, the three terms of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from 2014 to 2024 were the most severe. Nine of the ten worst scores on the Independent Journalism Index occurred during this period. During this time, journalists who criticized powerful political or state figures frequently faced lawsuits, detention, or intimidation. An instance of this was the arrest of Shamsuzzaman Shams, a reporter for Prothom Alo, under the Digital Security Act in March 2023. He had reported on rising commodity prices. In his report, a day laborer said, "What will I do with freedom if I don't have rice in my stomach? I sweat when I go to the market. I want fish, meat, and freedom if I want." Shams' arrest naturally sparked widespread concern among journalists. The incident was viewed as a warning from the government to independent journalism. However, it was not an isolated case. Many journalists like Mahfuz Ullah, Enayetullah Khan, and Tasnim Khalil have faced arrest, torture, or intimidation under various governments. Al Mahmud, the then editor of Dainik Ganakanth and a prominent poet, also experienced such harassment. During the interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus, dozens of journalists were arrested in murder cases. Many are now in prison after their bail applications were repeatedly rejected.Experts say legal pressure and lawsuits against journalists persist. The V-Dem data demonstrates that genuine media freedom does not rely solely on temporary political shifts. It requires long-term legal safeguards and institutional restraint. The V-Dem Institute at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden examines the state of democracy and fundamental freedoms worldwide. It incorporates assessments from thousands of experts. It is recognized as a key indicator for measuring democracy and, particularly, press freedom. V-Dem data is used by many international media outlets, including The New York Times, The Guardian and The Economist. It is also utilized by governments of various countries, the United Nations, the European Union and policy-making bodies. One specific V-Dem indicator is the ‘Harassment of Journalists.’ It documents incidents such as arrests, imprisonments, attacks or murders of journalists. According to the institute, the situation for journalists in Bangladesh fell into two categories. In one, harassment was nearly constant; in the other, there was a relatively mixed environment. Three periods are considered the most challenging in the history of media freedom in Bangladesh. During these times, journalists faced widespread repression. These periods were—the final year of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's rule in 1975, the military rule of General HM Ershad from the early 1980s to 1990, and the last three terms of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from 2014 to 2024. The most difficult of these was 1975. At that time, all private newspapers were shut down under the Baksal system. Only four state-owned media outlets remained open.After Ershad took power in 1982, media freedom deteriorated. Throughout his 9-year rule, journalists regularly faced censorship, harassment, and intimidation. Newspapers were also given instructions on what could or could not be published. If the instructions were disobeyed, publication would be halted. At that time, newspapers like ‘Jayzaydin’ and ‘Saptahik Bichinta’ were shut down. According to V-Dem, the situation for journalists was difficult throughout Ershad’s rule. While there was a slight improvement in the media situation during his attempts to legitimize his power through elections, it was very limited. However, the longest and most continuous period of harassment was during Sheikh Hasina’s last two terms. Nine of the ten worst scores for Bangladesh in the V-Dem index occurred during this period (2014–2024). Cases, detentions and intimidation against journalists became routine for criticizing those in power. There was also significant pressure on the media in the years preceding this period. The 2018 Digital Security Act served as a major tool in this regard. Through this law, criticism of the government in online and print newspapers was easily considered a crime. Except for 2009, every year of Sheikh Hasina's last three terms fell under V-Dem's account of 'stru ctural harassment' of journalists. Md. Saiful Islam Chowdhury, an associate professor at the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism at Dhaka University, said that all governments - political or military - have behaved repressively towards journalists. According to him, the same tactics and laws used to suppress the opposition, such as the anti-terrorism law, are also used to control the media. Although pressure on journalists eased for some time in Bangladesh, it did not last long. According to V-Dem, during the Ziaur Rahman regime from 1978 to 1981, journalists were subjected to the lowest level of harassment. During this period, some initiatives were taken, including the formation of the Press Institute and Press Council and the allocation of land for the National Press Club. This reduced state control to some extent.Media researchers say that after the media was almost completely shut down under Baksal in 1975, these institutional initiatives created a new limited opportunity or scope for journalism.However, even during those relatively good times, journalists who criticized or challenged the then system were not given a break. For example, American journalist Lawrence Lifshultz was expelled from Bangladesh at that time for publishing a report on the trial of Colonel Taher.After the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government in 2024, there was a comparative improvement in journalism. V-Dem data says that during the interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus in 2025, many journalists lost their jobs or faced court in murder cases. However, the level of harassment due to journalism then fell to the second lowest level in Bangladesh.According to experts, this improvement was due to a decrease in politically motivated cases, relaxed surveillance, and the absence of a single center of power. Before that, there was a relatively long period of peace from 1991 to 2005. After the restoration of democracy, the media expanded rapidly. At that time, several national dailies, including ‘Ajaker Kagoj’, ‘The Daily Star’, and ‘Prothom Alo’, and private television channels like ATN Bangla were launched. At that time, the government maintained some restrictive laws, but they did not completely destroy independent media. As a result, the media became stronger through competition and increased readership.Even during the periods shown as relatively good in the V-Dem index, serious incidents of harassment occurred. For example, from 1991 to 2005, both print newspapers and television channels faced government pressure. For example, in 2001, Prothom Alo reporter Tipu Sultan was brutally attacked for his reporting, and in 2002, the private broadcaster Ekushey Television was shut down.Professor Saiful Islam said, "Simply put, the ruling class in Bangladesh does not want to face questions. This does not always require jail or force. Intimidation is also created through financial pressure such as surveillance, lawsuits and advertising controls. Even in the post-coup period, there have been cases of organizing a frenzied crowd to attack the media."