Bangladesh has fallen three places to 152nd out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index, as global media freedom hits its lowest level in 25 years, according to Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
The index, published Thursday, assesses journalism conditions across five indicators—political context, legal framework, economic pressure, sociocultural environment and safety—classifying countries from “good” to “very serious.”
Bangladesh was ranked 149th in 2025 and is now placed in the “very serious” category. It stands five places ahead of India (157th) and one ahead of Pakistan, but lags behind several regional peers, including Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan.
RSF identified a sharp decline in the political context score as the main driver behind Bangladesh’s drop, citing reduced tolerance for critical journalism, pressure from political actors and weak support for media accountability.
State-run Bangladesh Television (BTV), Bangladesh Betar and news agency BSS lack editorial independence and function as government mouthpieces, the report said.
The country has around 3,000 newspapers and periodicals, 30 radio stations—including community outlets—30 television channels and hundreds of online portals.
Private broadcasters such as Jamuna TV, Somoy TV and Ekattor TV were previously supportive of the Sheikh Hasina government but avoided criticizing the interim administration. Leading dailies Prothom Alo and The Daily Star retained some editorial independence.
RSF also noted that more than 20% of Bangladesh’s 169 million people live below the poverty line, limiting access to mainstream media, though internet-based news consumption is growing.
Successive governments since independence in 1971 have used media as a propaganda tool, RSF said, including during the Hasina administration (2009–2024), when journalists faced censorship, surveillance, legal harassment and violence, it said
Following the government’s fall on August 5, 2024, an interim administration led by Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus remained in power until February 2026, when the BNP assumed office through elections.
The Cyber Security Act (CSA), modeled on the controversial Digital Security Act, enabled warrantless searches, arrests and device seizures, and undermines source confidentiality—encouraging self-censorship among journalists, the report said.
Economic and social factors
Most major private media outlets are owned by a small number of business groups that often prioritize political influence and profit over editorial independence.
RSF said Islamist groups have killed several journalists over the past decade and increasingly use social media to threaten secular reporters.
Journalism remains male-dominated, with female journalists facing workplace harassment and online abuse.
More than 130 journalists have faced what RSF described as baseless cases since the 2024 political transition, including allegations of murder and crimes against humanity. At least five have been detained.
For the first time since the index was launched in 2002, more than half of the countries fall into the “difficult” or “very serious” categories.
Only seven countries are rated “good,” led by Norway, followed by the Netherlands and Estonia. Norway has topped the index for about a decade, while Eritrea remains at the bottom for the third consecutive year.
The United States dropped seven places to 64th, with RSF accusing President Donald Trump of turning hostility toward the press into a “systematic policy.” France ranks 25th.
Elsewhere, Argentina fell 11 places to 98th, while El Salvador has dropped sharply over the past decade to 143rd. Russia ranks 172nd and Iran 177th, with journalists facing severe repression.
Eastern Europe and the Middle East remain the most dangerous regions for media workers. RSF cited conflicts and restrictions on access to information, including Israeli attacks on journalists in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and Lebanon. Israel ranks 116th.
“Since October 2023, more than 220 journalists have been killed in Gaza in Israeli attacks, including at least 70 while on duty,” the report said.
Journalists are treated as criminals in over 60% of countries—110 out of 180—including India, Egypt, Georgia, Turkey and Hong Kong.
RSF Editorial Director Anne Bocandé warned that attacks on the right to information are becoming more widespread and overt, driven by authoritarian regimes, weak political leadership, predatory economic interests and unregulated online platforms.
She called for stronger protections and accountability to safeguard press freedom worldwide.