Bangladesh

Journalist violence in Bangladesh has escalated dramatically since the 2024 political upheaval that ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. During the July-August 2024 quota protests (often called the Monsoon Revolution), at least six journalists were killed—five by police gunfire and one lynched by protesters—while covering clashes, with impunity persisting into 2025.

Post-transition under the interim government, attacks continued from non-state actors, including political affiliates and mobs. In 2025, reporters faced beatings, threats, and harassment while covering events, often by BNP or student groups. At least two journalists were killed, hundreds faced trumped-up charges like murder or terrorism (with some jailed), and over 297 were legally targeted.

The most shocking incident occurred on December 18, 2025, when mobs—triggered by the killing of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi—vandalized and torched the offices of leading outlets Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, trapping staff amid flames and halting publications for the first time in decades. UN experts condemned these coordinated assaults on independent media as threats to free expression ahead of 2026 elections. Such violence underscores a dangerous erosion of press safety amid political polarization.