Human rights organization Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) has documented 315 incidents of harassment against journalists in Bangladesh during the first nine months of 2026, according to data compiled by its Documentation Unit from reports in major newspapers and its own monitoring.
The figures, drawn from sources including Prothom Alo, Ittefaq, Samakal, Sangbad, Janakantha, Jugantor, Naya Diganta, The Daily Star, New Age, Dhaka Tribune (including e-papers), select online portals, and ASK’s own records, highlight persistent risks faced by media workers across multiple categories of threat and attack.
The largest single category was victims of assault while performing professional duties, with 88 cases.
This was followed by torture, attack, threat, harassment, or bomb-throwing attributed to terrorists (43 incidents) and torture, harassment, or threats by law enforcement agencies (42). Cases filed against published news accounted for 39 incidents, while 16 journalists faced legal action under the Cyber Security Act.
Political-party-linked incidents included 27 cases of attack, torture, or harassment by the BNP and its associated organizations, and 22 by Jamaat-e-Islami and its associated organizations. One incident was attributed to the Awami League and its affiliates. Government officials and employees were linked to 9 cases of torture, threat, or harassment. Twenty death threats were recorded, along with 5 cases of assault or abuse of journalists while performing duties during the 13th National Election, and 3 incidents classified as “others.” No figures were listed for several other monitored categories, including attacks by the Jatiya Party, murders by miscreants, attacks by leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Movement or NCP, or recovered dead bodies.
These numbers reflect a continuing pattern of pressure on the media.
Earlier ASK monitoring and related reports noted elevated levels of harassment in 2025 (with previous annual figures cited around 381 incidents in some accounts) and spikes around the February 2026 election period. Journalists have faced physical attacks while covering events, legal cases tied to their reporting, and threats from a range of actors including security forces, political groups, and unidentified or terrorist elements.
The data underscore the need for effective enforcement of the rule of law to protect those who gather and report information, said Probir Kumar Sarker, senior journalist and chairperson of Write For Rights. Impunity for attacks on the press undermines accountability, free expression, and the public’s right to information. Human rights and media organizations have repeatedly called for impartial investigations, prosecution of perpetrators regardless of affiliation, an end to the misuse of legal instruments against journalists for their professional work, and concrete measures to ensure the safety of media workers in the field.
He said sustained protection of press freedom remains essential for democratic functioning and informed public discourse.