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Bangladeshi journalists accidental they are facing decease threats, targeted surveillance, and intimidation successful the run-up to Feb 2026 nationalist elections — a situation that deepened aft mobs attacked and acceptable occurrence to offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star connected Dec 19, trapping much than 2 twelve media unit inside.
No journalists were killed, but those contiguous said they were near with small uncertainty astir what the attackers intended.Staffers described however they were forced onto the rooftop arsenic fume from the arson filled the buildings. Phone signals were weak, and assistance took hours to arrive. “We weren’t definite we would past the night,” said a elder writer astatine The Daily Star, speaking to TOI from Dhaka. “And since then, it hasn’t felt similar we got retired of it.
The occurrence was conscionable the beginning.”A full of 28 people, mostly journalists and staffers, were yet rescued by firefighters and service personnel. Press state organisations aboriginal said the mob appeared intent connected burning the journalists alive, and successful immoderate cases, actively blocked exigency responders. While those statements picture the level of threat, nary deaths person been confirmed.What followed the onslaught has been quieter, but nary little insidious.
Reporters from some nationalist and planetary publications told TOI that they are present being tracked online, receiving anonymous warnings, and successful immoderate cases, being surveilled successful person. Some person gone disconnected societal media altogether. “They ticker our posts to spot whose broadside we’re on,” said a writer from Sylhet. “Especially if you’re a number oregon constitute with immoderate wide perspective, you’re marked.
These adjacent 2 months volition beryllium dangerous.”The attacks were sparked by protests implicit decease of pupil person Sharif Osman Hadi but rapidly spiralled into a broader battle connected the press. Offices were ransacked. Computers and instrumentality were looted oregon destroyed. In The Daily Star’s newsroom, editors and reporters said they had minutes to evacuate earlier flames reached their desks. “We could perceive them breaking things downstairs,” said 1 editor. “We near without shutting down our systems.
We didn’t look back.”No arrests person been made. No ceremonial probe has reached those responsible. Rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Access Now, person condemned the incident, informing that it signals a deeper erosion of civic abstraction successful Bangladesh. Their associated connection besides criticised the state’s nonaccomplishment to enactment connected rising hatred code and online harassment directed astatine journalists.Chief advisor Muhammed Yunus has condemned the arson and promised to guarantee information for media professionals.
But journalists connected crushed accidental the promises consciousness detached from reality. “It wasn’t conscionable vandalism,” said 1 newsman astatine Prothom Alo. “It was theatre. And the State was portion of the audience.”In Dhaka, the newsrooms that were torched are operating from makeshift setups. Reporters are inactive filing stories, but less are signing bylines. “We bash this occupation knowing determination are costs,” said a Daily Star journalist. “But we were ne'er meant to bash it without extortion — not from the State, not from the law, not adjacent from the public.”In Nepal, too, media offices person travel nether occurrence this year. During anti-govt demonstrations successful Sept, protesters vandalised and acceptable occurrence to the office of Kantipur Media Group. A elder exertion determination told TOI that the inclination is unmistakable: “It starts with undermining reporters, past moves to surveillance, and yet turns violent. This is not isolated. This is coordinated tolerance for impunity.”
