The quality of democracy in a country is directly proportional to the freedom its media enjoys. By that yardstick, democracy in Bangladesh was already in the ICU by the time of the August rebellion. From 2009 to 2024, it slithered down the World Press Freedom index from 121 to 165, falling 15 places in the last five years alone. The 2024 rankings were declared earlier this year, much before the ouster of Sheikh Hasina on 5 August. And since then, the crackdown on the media by the interim government of Mohammed Yunus has been so rough that the Fourth Estate in that country seems destined for the ventilator. A giant question mark hangs over its chances of recovery.
In August, in the immediate aftermath of the prime minister’s ouster, several Bangladeshi journalists viewed as pro-Sheikh Hasina were arrested, many ended up in jail—including a woman anchor of a prominent television channel called Ekkator or 71 in memory of the year the country wrested its independence from Pakistan. Those, however, were the heady days of the rebellion sweeping the country. But now, three months later, the crackdown on the media is cold-blooded. In the last 15 days, the interim government’s Public Information Department has cancelled the press accreditation of 167 journalists. Many of these journalists are veterans. Some are even editors of their respective publications or television channels.
Just for the record, a journalist’s accreditation is not the same as a doctor’s registration. No registration means a doctor cannot treat a patient. No accreditation does not mean a journalist cannot write or report. But what accreditation does is give journalists access to the top brass in government and top government events, including press conferences.
For journalists, access is almost everything. So, the action by the interim government drew worldwide condemnation from global organisations that look out for journalists’ rights, such as Reporters Sans Frontiers, Transparency International and the Committee for the Protection of Journalists. Then finally, on Tuesday, even Bangladesh’s own Editors’ Council led by stalwarts Mahfuz Anam of Daily Star and Dewan Hanif Mahmud of Bonik Barta waded in to strongly condemn the en masse defrocking, as it were, of journalists.
In its appeal to the government to rescind the cancellation of accreditation cards, the Editors’ Council said the action is a threat to the freedom of the press and an obstacle to the creation of a democratic environment which is “contrary to the spirit of the July-August” movement and a repeat of the undemocratic practices of the previous authoritarian governments.
Also read: Bangladesh can’t afford another coup. Yunus govt must not trust all army officers with power
‘With us, or against us’
Amid the media crackdown, a flash of hope. On 7 November, the interim government announced an “in principle” decision to do away with the Cyber Security Act, which was widely used by the Awami League government to curb press freedom and political dissent. The CSA was enacted in September last year to replace the Draconian Digital Security Act 2018. No clear deadline for the scrapping yet but when a new law to protect people against cybercrime is framed, media observers hope media freedom will be kept out of its ambit.
Meanwhile, the interim government has set up a Mass Media Reforms Commission (MMRC) to tackle issues related to the media. On 17 October, Kamal Ahmed, a columnist based in London and reportedly known as pro-BNP, was named head of the commission. But after that little has been heard about its mandate.
The setting up of the commission was announced in September by the interim government’s information and broadcasting adviser Nahid Islam. His statements made at a seminar at the National Press Club in Dhaka on 7 October are noteworthy. It was titled ‘Reform of Media: How? Why?’.
His grouse was that “there was no institutional resistance of journalists in this revolution.” Even though journalists were collecting news on the ground, there was no outlet that would publish them, he claimed.
The long and short message for the media is, you are either with us or against us.
An article in the Columbia Journalism Review, put it well when it asks, “can Bangladesh’s media, dependent on business houses for money and the government for licenses and ads, ever be anything but a mouthpiece for those in power?”
The question is slightly tweaked and paraphrased and it is one Bangladesh’s neighbour to the West could ask itself too.
Monideepa Banerjie is a senior journalist based in Kolkata. She tweets @Monideepa62. Views are personal.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)
Not sure what spirit of July-August this clueless ‘journalist’ is talking about. If getting rid of an elected government through street protests and replacing it with an unelected advisor is the spirit then stifling the media and journalists is very obviously in line with this spirit. Meanwhile this ‘journalist’ is better off looking at the state of the media and journalists in Waste Bengal, which right now probably ranks at the bottom of the Freedom of media list.
What exactly is the situation in West Bengal? It seems to be the most draconian and illiberal state govt. Reporters and media houses are being hounded and chased by the state police on a daily basis. The likes of Safikul (Arambagh TV), Sumon Dey and media houses like Bongo TV and others are getting police summons every other day. Their personal accounts are being frozen and they are kade to run from pillar to post to get their accounts operational again.
Ms. Banerjie thinks the rest of India has no idea of what is actually going on in Bengal.
Ms. Monideepa Banerjie should be way more concerned about the crackdown on journalists in West Bengal by the TMC govt. The Mamata Banerjee regime has gone hammer and tongs at journalists and media houses reporting on the endless series of scams and the doctor’s protest.
The atmosphere of fear and intimidation in which media has to operate in Bengal will put to shame even Bangladesh.
Whatever thin veil was obscuring the hideous truth of an unelected dictatorship parachuted from abroad, propped up by the military and powered by street hooligans of Jamat student wing has now torn down. The right wing power grab which was being passed of as a revolution by professional left liberal sycophants masquerading as journalists on this side of the border has now revealed its true nature and the former cheerleaders are pretending to disown it. Like every dictatorship, this one will also crumble one day. But the role of a section of Indian media in trying to justify it will not be easily forgotten.