70 journalists attacked, arrested, harassed or threatened in September: BAJ

At least 70 journalists across the country faced attacks, arrests, legal harassment, threats and obstruction while doing their professional duties in September. This was shown in the September 2026 monitoring report of the Bangladesh Association of Journalists (BAJ). The report was shared in a press release signed by Mr. Mahmudul Hasan, Editor of the BAJ Research and Monitoring Cell, yesterday.

According to the report, 40 of the affected journalists were physically attacked and hurt. Eight faced legal harassment. Twenty two faced direct threats, harassment and obstruction at work. The report also gave details of several incidents.

In Cox’s Bazar, a local teenage gang demanded Tk 5 lakh in extortion from the family of a journalist. The family refused to pay. The report says gang members then attacked with sharp weapons and hammers. They beat the journalist’s mother and seriously injured his younger brother with a sharp weapon.

In Kachua of Chandpur, a journalist was stopped on the road and attacked. He had published a news report on a rape allegation against a young man by his niece. His young daughter, who was with him, was also beaten. In Pallabi of Dhaka, journalist Mr. Prantho Parvez has alleged that men came on motorcycles at around 2 am and attacked his home and fired shots. This came after he broadcast news on the extortion by “Ashik Group.”

In Mirpur, at least six journalists from different media outlets were surrounded, chased and beaten while covering an eviction drive against illegal hawkers. The attackers also tried to snatch cameras and broke a vehicle of a television channel. In Naogaon, a journalist was named as an accused with bad intent in a case over a death in a land grab clash. The report says the complainant said in public that he does not know the journalist and does not know how the name came into the case. The journalist alleged that he was dragged into the case because he had earlier reported on irregularities and corruption of the local UP Chairman.

In Barguna, police made a journalist arrested in an extortion case take a dope test. His family says the case is a plot against him. The case statement did not mention any drug use or carrying of drugs. The report says the test found no sign of drugs in his body. He was taken to court with both hands cuffed behind his back.

In Ghatail of Tangail, a journalist applied under the Right to Information Act for details of the municipality’s development work and financial accounts. The report claims the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) then phoned him, spoke rudely and threatened to go into “offensive mode.” The BAJ Research and Monitoring Cell said the lack of rule of law and a culture of no justice are to blame for attacks, obstruction and legal harassment of journalists. It said such incidents are a threat to a free press.

The BAJ has demanded a fair investigation into every incident and punishment for those involved. It has also asked for the professional safety of journalists to be ensured.