More than a year after the July uprising, several journalists remain behind bars as courts repeatedly reject their bail petitions in multiple cases, many of which rights groups claim are politically motivated.
Media organizations, lawyers and international bodies are now questioning the prolonged detention without trial.
The Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA) has urged the government to ensure justice and release those held on false and harassing charges.
In a statement issued on March 3, the international media rights organization called on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and his government to ensure the immediate release of journalists who it said were detained on “false charges, including murder,” describing the continued imprisonment as a violation of fundamental rights.
The statement came amid growing concern among lawyers, media organizations and civil society groups over the prolonged detention of several journalists who have repeatedly been denied bail despite lengthy legal proceedings.
Concerns over bail and due process
Many journalists were arrested following the mass uprising of students and the public on August 5, 2024, which led to a major political transition in the country.
Since then, numerous cases -- including murder, attempted murder, anti-terrorism and corruption allegations -- have been filed against media professionals in different parts of the country.
Critics argue that many of these cases are politically motivated and based on vague or unsubstantiated accusations.
Lawyers representing the detained journalists say bail petitions have been rejected repeatedly in lower courts, leaving many of the accused imprisoned without trial for extended periods.
Human rights organizations and media groups have expressed concern that such cases are disrupting journalists’ professional activities and undermining press freedom.
Legal experts question cases
Manzil Morshed, president of Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh and a senior advocate of the Supreme Court, said many allegations against journalists remain unclear.
“The accusations made by the interim government labeling journalists as collaborators of the previous administration are not clearly established,” he said.
“In many instances, the cases appear to be politically motivated.”
He added that Bangladesh lacks an effective legal mechanism to quickly dispose of false cases.
“There is a structural problem in our legal system where individuals accused in questionable cases cannot obtain relief quickly,” Morshed said.
“There is an expectation that the new government will address this issue and ensure justice.”
Lawyers cite lack of evidence
Several defence lawyers say the cases filed against journalists lack specific evidence linking them to criminal acts.
Lawyer Shyamal Kanti Sarkar, who represents detained journalists Mozammel Haque Babu and Shyamal Dutta, said the allegations have not been substantiated with clear details.
“For a criminal case to succeed, there must be specific evidence indicating when, where and how the accused committed a crime,” he said.
“But many journalists have been kept in jail for months based on general accusations.”
Sarkar also expressed concern that even basic considerations such as age and health have not been taken into account in bail decisions.
Lawyer Taslima Jahan Popi, representing journalist Anis Alamgir, said several charges brought against journalists do not meet the legal requirements for serious criminal offences.
“In many of these cases, the elements required under Section 302 of the Penal Code are not present,” she said.
“Under the law, the accused should be eligible for bail.”
State position
Prosecutors, however, say the courts are refusing bail because the allegations in the cases are serious and investigations are still ongoing.
Omar Faruq Faruqi, public prosecutor of the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court, said the accused journalists were associated with activities supporting the previous government during the July movement.
“Even if they were not physically present at incidents, investigators believe they were involved in various ways,” he said, adding that courts are considering the seriousness of the allegations before granting bail.
Civil society, Media raise alarm
The Editors’ Council has also expressed concern about the growing number of cases against journalists.
In a statement issued on February 25, Council President Nurul Kabir and General Secretary Dewan Hanif Mahmud said the filing of multiple cases against journalists has disrupted normal media operations and created a climate of fear within the profession.
The council called for the withdrawal of harassing cases and for ensuring a safe environment for journalists to perform their professional duties.
Concern has also been voiced by a broad group of legal experts and rights advocates.
A joint statement signed by 63 prominent lawyers, human rights defenders, academics and civil society members expressed deep concern over what they described as arbitrary detention and legal harassment of journalists.
Cases against journalists
Among those arrested were Shakil Ahmed, former news chief of Ekattor Television, and Farzana Rupa, a former chief reporter and presenter of the same channel.
The couple was detained on August 21, 2024, from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and subsequently shown arrested in multiple cases, including several murder investigations linked to events surrounding the July movement.
According to their lawyer Morshed Hossain Shaheen, more than eight cases have been filed against them and bail applications have been rejected more than 30 times.
Other journalists detained in various cases include Mozammel Haque Babu, editor-in-chief of Ekattor Television; Shyamal Dutta, editor of Bhorer Kagoj; Nasir Uddin Sathi, chairman of MyTV; Arif Hasan, managing director of Desh TV; Anis Alamgir, senior journalist and television commentator; and Shawkat Mahmud, former president of the National Press Club.
In addition, more than 50 journalists across the country have been named in different cases since the political upheaval of August 2024.
Journalist Monjurul Alam Panna, who was released on bail after being detained in a related case, said the new government has an opportunity to address the issue.
“The cases filed during the interim administration created a troubling chapter for press freedom,” he said.
“There is hope that the new government will review these cases and ensure justice.”
Rights advocates say resolving the issue quickly could send a positive message both domestically and internationally about the government’s commitment to protecting press freedom and the rule of law.
