ABDULLAH HEL BUBUN

For much of Bangladesh’s history, journalists who challenged those in power have faced harassment, arrest, or intimidation, regardless of who ruled the country.

Data from the Sweden‑based Varieties of Democracy (V‑Dem) project shows that for nearly half of Bangladesh’s history as an independent country, journalists who reported critically were routinely punished and sometimes forced out of the profession.

The pattern cuts across regimes. Bangladesh recorded hostile conditions for journalists in 27 of the 55 years tracked by V‑Dem, with nine of the country’s 10 worst‑ever scores occurring during the final three terms of Sheikh Hasina, between 2014 and 2024. During those years, journalists who offended powerful political or state actors were often subjected to legal action, detention, or intimidation.

One such case unfolded in March 2023, when Shamsuzzaman Shams, a correspondent for the daily Prothom Alo, was arrested under the Digital Security Act after reporting on rising food prices. His story quoted a day labourer asking, “What will I do with independence if I cannot afford food?”

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