Seven international organisations have strongly condemned the violent attacks on December 18, 2025, targeting the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, as well as the vandalism of Chhayanaut, calling the incidents a grave threat to freedom of expression in Bangladesh.
In a joint statement issued on Monday, the organisations said the apparently coordinated attacks on two of South Asia’s leading media houses and one of Bangladesh’s most respected cultural institutions marked a serious escalation in violence against independent media, journalists, activists and cultural spaces.
The statement was signed by Access Now, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), Human Rights Watch (HRW), International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP), Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS), and the Tech Global Institute (TGI).
The organisations also expressed alarm over reports of the public beating and burning to death of Dipu Chandra Das in Bhaluka upazila of Mymensingh on the same night, following allegations that he had made derogatory remarks about religion.
“We are deeply alarmed by credible reports of the public beating and burning to death of Dipu Chandra Das,” the statement said.
The incidents came days after the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi, a political activist and prominent figure of the July 2024 uprising, who was shot in Dhaka on December 12 and died from his injuries on December 18.
According to the statement, the targeting of politicians, activists, media houses and cultural institutions — particularly ahead of the 2026 national election — raises serious concerns about the erosion of the rule of law and the shrinking space for free expression, civic discourse and democratic participation.
The organisations said verified reports indicated that journalists and staff were trapped inside the burning premises of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, facing immediate risk to their lives.
“Any failure to respond promptly and effectively in such circumstances constitutes a breach of the state’s fundamental duty to protect life,” the statement said.
They also described the forced suspension of both print and online editions of the newspapers as an unprecedented disruption to Bangladesh’s media landscape, adding that harassment and intimidation of journalists at the scene reflected growing impunity.
The attack on Chhayanaut, the statement said, signals a broader hostility toward cultural institutions and highlights an increasingly unsafe environment for artistic expression and diversity of opinion.
The organisations warned of a dangerous convergence of online and offline violence, noting that attacks on bauls, journalists, media workers and artists throughout the year point to a wider pattern.
Many of the attacks, they said, appeared to be fuelled by online hate speech and explicit calls to violence, often posted by prominent individuals with large followings and amplified through their networks.
The statement criticised technology companies for failing to adequately address such content and said the state’s response to online hate and incitement had been insufficient.
While acknowledging that the interim government has proposed cyber law reforms, the organisations said the continued spread of incitement to violence highlights a serious enforcement gap.
Bangladesh, the statement noted, has binding obligations under international human rights law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), as well as constitutional guarantees protecting freedom of expression, media freedom, cultural life and personal security.
The organisations said recent failures must be viewed in the context of past responses to mass protests in 2024, which involved excessive force and crackdowns, warning that both repression and inaction undermine democratic institutions.
The joint statement called on the interim government to:
- Ensure immediate and effective protection for journalists, media workers, media houses and cultural institutions
- Conduct swift, independent and transparent investigations into the attacks and hold all perpetrators accountable
- Engage technology companies to curb online hate speech and incitement to violence
- Publicly condemn all acts of violence and intimidation against media and cultural institutions
- Guarantee a safe environment for journalism, cultural expression and civic participation ahead of the 2026 election
- Align national laws and practices with constitutional and international human rights obligations
“We stand in solidarity with Bangladesh’s journalists, media workers, artists and diverse communities, and reiterate our commitment to defending freedom of expression, accountability and democratic participation,” the statement said.