The Editors’ Council on Saturday strongly protested the arrest and imprisonment of a newspaper editor over a published report, warning that the incident signals a troubling return to practices that undermine press freedom and independent journalism.
In a statement, the council expressed concern over the arrest of Md Rezanur Islam, acting editor of the Bogra-based daily Agrajatra Pratidin, who was sent to jail in a case linked to a report involving Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives State Minister Mir Shahe Alam.
The editors’ body said the incident contradicts the ruling BNP’s election commitments and its 31-point state reform agenda, which pledged to uphold freedom of expression and media independence.
The council argued that Bangladesh already has legal and institutional mechanisms to address objections to news reports, including the Bangladesh Press Council and the courts.
“Instead of using these mechanisms, a journalist has been arrested and jailed over a report,” the statement said, noting that the case itself was filed by another journalist.
Drawing parallels with the previous Awami League government’s record on media freedom, the council said the use of criminal cases, arrests and imprisonment against journalists over published reports had become a recurring pattern and now appeared to be resurfacing.
The organization warned that criminalizing journalism poses a direct threat to press freedom and could further weaken Bangladesh’s already fragile standing on global media freedom indicators.
It said such actions create fear among journalists, undermine editorial independence and discourage critical reporting in the public interest.
The council also noted that Bangladesh currently ranks 152nd in the World Press Freedom Index and cautioned that continued harassment of journalists could further damage the country’s international reputation.
Calling the incident a matter of grave concern, the Editors’ Council demanded the immediate release of Rezanur Islam and urged authorities to ensure that disputes over news reports are addressed through established legal and professional institutions, particularly the Bangladesh Press Council, rather than through arrests and imprisonment.