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100 days into the BNP government’s tenure.

“Press freedom in Bangladesh has too often been treated as an opportunity for each new government to turn the law against journalists allegedly aligned with the previous administration,” said CPJ’s Asia-Pacific Programme Coordinator Kunal Majumder in the statement.

“Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s government pledged to be different, but 100 days in, meaningful progress remains limited.”

Bangladesh has had three governments in under two years. Through each transition, journalists have been detained, prosecuted, surveilled, attacked, and vilified, often for their perceived alignment with whichever government had just fallen, the statement said.

It also referred to a report by The Daily Star, which said police were conducting background checks and profiling journalists across the country.

The rights body listed 10 steps to restore press freedom, beginning with ending the use of the criminal justice system against journalists.

“The government could start by releasing imprisoned journalists, dropping politically motivated cases, ending political vendettas, protecting journalists from mob violence, halting smear campaigns, and fixing laws that make such actions possible,” it said, adding that dozens of journalists who produced coverage seen as supportive of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina had been detained or charged since August 2024.

Authorities often criminalise journalists through First Information Reports naming hundreds of people, or through cases filed against unidentified people and later used to “accuse reporters of wrongdoing”, CPJ said.

It mentioned Farzana Rupa, Shakil Ahmed, and Mozammel Babu of Ekattor TV; and Shyamal Dutta of Bhorer Kagoj, who have been detained since August-September 2024.

Farzana and Shakil were granted bail in most cases by the High Court on May 11, but remain detained in other cases.

The CPJ urged the government to review all cases against journalists, stop opposing bail in cases arising from journalistic work, and end mass FIRs and case-stacking.

On May 28, when PM Tarique marked 100 days in office, an Editors’ Council delegation handed the government a list of 282 journalists facing politically motivated cases, the rights body said.

Information Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon said the prime minister expressed solidarity with the council and directed the authorities to take necessary measures regarding the lawsuits, the statement said, adding that acknowledgement must be followed by action.

CPJ also urged the government to stop using the International Crimes Tribunal against journalists.

“At least 25 journalists are under ICT investigation, many over genocide or crimes against humanity allegations tied to their alleged support for the Hasina government,” it said, adding that media liability precedents under international criminal law concerned direct and sustained incitement of mass killing, not editorial decisions on contentious coverage.

The CPJ called for accountability for crimes against journalists, regardless of politics, through transparent and independent investigations.

Referring to the December 2025 unrest, it said the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star were attacked and set on fire, trapping journalists inside burning newsrooms.

It also called for replacing or substantially amending the Cyber Protection Act, 2026, and dismissing politically motivated cybercrime cases.

The group further urged reforms to the Anti-Terrorism Act, Special Powers Act, and Official Secrets Act, saying these laws have frequently been used against journalists. It also asked the government not to adopt the draft broadcast and media commission ordinances in their current forms.

The CPJ also called for implementation of the Media Reform Commission’s recommendations, and for reforming accreditation, introducing safeguards against abusive litigation, repealing criminal defamation provisions, and reforming surveillance and interception laws.

It asked the government to end smear campaigns against journalists, including labels such as “pro-India”, “anti-Islam”, “traitors”, or agents of the former government.

“Journalism is protected under article 39 of the constitution and article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,” the statement added.