Ahead of Bangladesh election, CPJ urges political parties to protect press freedom

The Committee to Protect Journalists has written to Bangladesh’s major political parties ahead of a national election scheduled for February 12, calling for urgent steps to safeguard press freedom and journalists’ safety.

In separate letters, CPJ called on the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, the National Citizen Party, and the Jatiya Party to make public commitments to protect journalists during the election period, including by rejecting violence, intimidation, and the misuse of criminal or national-security laws. CPJ also asked that elected representatives fulfill those commitments following the election.

CPJ research indicates that risks to journalists have intensified in the pre-election period, including physical attacks on media outlets, threats, harassment linked to political polarization, and the continued imprisonment of five journalists on charges that appear connected to their reporting or perceived political affiliations. At the same time, longstanding impunity for violence against journalists and a lack of meaningful progress on promised media reforms have contributed to a climate of fear and self-censorship.

Read the letters in full below:

● Letter to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)

● Letter to the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh

● Letter to the National Citizen Party (NCP)

● Letter to the Jatiya Party

Former ruling party Awami League has been barred from contesting the upcoming elections.