International media rights bodies and civil society within Bangladesh concerned over continued detention of journalists

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, March 11, 2026

The continued detention of 73 journalists in Bangladesh by the previous illegitimate interim government even after the elected BNP government came to power last month has become a matter of deep concern for international media rights bodies as well as similar such bodies and civil society within Bangladesh. All the journalists had been arrested by the Jamat-backed interim government on absolutely false charges of murder, corruption and collaboration with the long Awami League regime but they are yet to be formally charge-sheeted and are in illegal detention without trial.

The Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA) , an international body as well as Human Rights and Peace in Bangladesh , a Bangladeshi rights body headed by senior advocate Manzil Morshed have expressed grave concern over continued illegal detention of journalists without trial and demanded that they be released soon . Their release can be followed by restriction on movement out of the country and they can be charge-sheeted in cognizable cases. Senior advocate Shyamal Kanti Sarkar who represents senior media editors, detained Shyamal Datta and Mozammel Haque ruefully said that there is no legal mechanism in Bangladesh for quick review of false cases and release of illegally detained persons. However his stand in open court was opposed recently by the prosecution-that is, government lawyers on the specious ground that the cases against journalists across the country are being investigated.

Sources from Bangladesh said that in the immediate aftermath of August 5 2024 the interim regime headed by Md Yunus had taken into custody the 73 journalist including editors of newspapers and TV channels, considered friendly with the ousted Awami League regime. In almost all the cases ridiculously false charges like murder, snatching , corruption etc had been brought against them but no case has yet been properly investigated , let alone charge-sheeted. But the BNP government headed by Tariqe Rahaman as prime minister has not yet ordered any review of the false cases brought against the illegally detained journalists even though appeals have been made to the government by rights bodies, civil societies at the national and international level.

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