​Free Media Day: Imprisoned journalism and the crisis of freedom in Bangladesh
Manik Lal Ghosh
World Free Press Day is being celebrated across the world today. Since the United Nations General Assembly recognized May 3 as this day in 1993, the day has been celebrated every year worldwide with a pledge to protect the freedom of the press and the rights of journalists. The main objective of this day is to commemorate the Windhoek Declaration by UNESCO and to celebrate the basic principles of freedom of the media, to assess the state of freedom of the media around the world and to stand by journalists who are affected in the performance of their professional duties.
However, this year's Free Media Day in Bangladesh is being celebrated in such a context, when the country's journalism is facing a tough challenge. According to the 2026 'Global Media Freedom Index' published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Bangladesh's position among 180 countries has fallen to 152nd position, three places lower than last year. This decline shows how much the path of independent journalism has narrowed in this country.
Currently, several senior and well-known journalists of the country are in prison without trial for a long time. In August 2024, Ekatar Television's former news chief Shakil Ahmed and former chief reporter Farzana Rupa were arrested from the airport. They have been kept in jail for more than a year and a half after being arrested in different murder cases. Similarly, Mozammel Babu, former editor-in-chief of Ekatar Television, and Shyamal Dutta, editor of Bhorer Kagaz and general secretary of Jatiya Press Club, were arrested in September. They are still in prison as their bail applications have been repeatedly rejected.
Apart from professional identity, veteran journalist Shahriar Kabir, who is respected as a researcher, human rights activist and a brave freedom fighter, has been in jail since September last year. Besides, the journalist leader Shaukat Mahmud was arrested in the case of anti-terrorism law and the chairman of MyTV is in jail after being arrested in a murder case. Nasir Uddin mate. Mollah Jalal, the former president of BFUJ, is currently on bail after being in jail for a long time in political corruption and conspiracy cases.Journalist and talk show personality Anis Alamgir, Manjurul Alam Panna, former organizing secretary of DRU Sheikh Jamal etc.
Statistics from various human rights organizations make the current picture of our media even more dire. According to Human Rights Culture Foundation (MSF) and TIB, hundreds of journalists were attacked, prosecuted and harassed between August 2024 and December 2025. A large number of them have been convicted of coup-related violence. Press accreditation cards of 168 journalists have been canceled in three phases during the interim government, which is a sign of stifling independent journalism.
According to the recent report of the Law and Arbitration Center (ASC), 389 journalists have been tortured by various political parties and groups in the last one year due to political unrest. Out of which four journalists lost their lives.
The big question today is how successful the concept of free media will be in an independent state with such continuous oppression of media, jailing of journalists one after another, pouring cases and fear of mob justice. On World Free Press Day, let us hope that no journalist should be jailed without trial for the crime of telling the truth. The main pledge of this day is to ensure a fearless journalistic environment by stopping media capture and harassment.

(Manik Lal Ghosh: Journalist and Columnist; Former Vice President,Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ).