162 journalists hit by violence and false cases in Bangladesh in three months, says MID report

Journalists in Bangladesh have faced violence, assaults, shootings, threats of abduction and false cases filed out of political hatred over the past three months, according to the latest report by the research organisation Media Initiative for Development (MID).

The report records a total of 112 incidents of violence between July and September, in which at least 162 journalists were directly affected. The figures have prompted deep concern internationally over press freedom and the safety of journalists in Bangladesh.

In July, 50 journalists were targeted in 39 separate incidents. In 48.7 per cent of those incidents journalists were directly threatened with death, while in 28.2 per cent they were physically attacked.

August was the most dangerous month for journalists. There were 44 incidents of violence, and 67 journalists suffered serious injuries and harassment. Incidents rose 12.8 per cent from July to August. September saw 29 incidents, affecting 45 journalists.

Journalists working on the ground outside the big cities and in rural areas bore the brunt. Of the 162 journalists affected, 89, the largest group, worked in print media. Another 53 were from television news channels and 20 were with online digital news portals.

The attacks took place in more than 30 districts of Bangladesh. The highest numbers of harassment cases were recorded in the Dhaka, Chittagong, Sirajganj, Barisal and Sylhet divisions.

Journalists who report on local corruption and political violence in particular are having to work in dangerous areas without any protection. While they were covering stories, their homes and offices were attacked directly, shots were fired and in some places abduction attempts were made. Constant fear has spread unease among local journalists, and impartial reporting has become almost impossible.

The most worrying finding of the report is that, despite attacks and harassment on such a scale, there has not been adequate or firm legal action against those responsible. MID executive director Rashidul Hasan expressed strong anger at the situation. "These attacks on journalists are not just on newspapers or television channels; they are a direct attack on the basic right of the public to information and on press freedom," he said.

Hasan and Bangladesh's leading journalists' organisations have demanded that the government intervene immediately. They want it to order a fair and swift investigation into every incident and to punish the culprits severely. Media experts have also warned that if the attackers and authoritarian tendencies are not stopped now, the existence of a free and impartial media in Bangladesh will be in danger for good.