Rights group ARTICLE 19 has observed that freedom of expression is being stifled and barriers are preventing independent media to function in Bangladesh.
The observation was made in the annual report of the UK-based organization on Violation of Freedom of Expression in Bangladesh 2020, disclosed through a press release on Sunday.
According to the report, two journalists and a media person were killed, and three journalists abducted in Bangladesh last year.
The report recorded some 631 attacks on journalists and Human Rights Defenders (HRD). These include 293 attacks on 265 journalists and 338 attacks on HRDs.
During the same period, there were three major incidents of blocking and filtering of online communications, 36 incidents of suppressing protesters by the use of excessive force, and six instances of hate crimes.
ARTICLE 19 highlighted the rising number of cases against journalists and online communicators under the Digital Security Act 2018 (DSA), and overall lack of security and protection of journalists and online activists in Bangladesh.
The report stated the increasing impunity to the perpetrators in cases of attacks against journalists and media workers.
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Almost all the attacks against journalists were carried out for publishing news reports or while they were performing their duty as public watchdogs against corruptions, irregularities of government officials or local criminal groups, according to the statement.
The report pointed out that journalists working at the grassroots level (77.78%) were affected most, compared to journalists working in the capital (22.22%).
Also, a staggering number of 1,600 journalists lost their jobs in 2020 due to closure and loss of income of the media outlets during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Women journalists suffer the most when it comes to job security, and additionally, the dangers and risks being in the media profession due to inadequate safety and protective measures, the statement says.
Journalists and media are an important tool to relay information and help the masses engage in public discourse, being the fourth estate in democracy. However, the world is becoming a more hostile place for journalists.
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Faruq Faisal, regional director of ARTICLE 19 Bangladesh and South, said: “There is a long road ahead to ensure the protection, safety, and welfare of journalists in Bangladesh, to protect our Freedom of Expression and Right to Information.”
Founded in 1987 in the United Kingdom, the organization works to ensure freedom of expression and free thoughts. The rights body started its operations in South Asia and Bangladesh in 2008.
