The Issue
I am a journalist myself, intimately aware of the fundamental requirement of transparency, neutrality, and the right to expression that our profession insists upon. Alarmingly, incidents in Bangladesh wherein numerous journalists are currently held in prison under the interim government led by Mohammad Yunus represent a critical blow to this work. With no bail hearings—the cornerstone of any fair legal system—these individuals are being unjustly held away from their families, their livelihood, and their duty.
Exercising freedom of the press is vital for any functioning democracy. According to the World Press Freedom Index report by Reporters Without Borders, Bangladesh ranks 165th out of 180 countries regarding the issue of press freedom, a shocking statistic that reveals this harsh reality. Together, we must oppose these unjust practices and champion human rights globally.
This petition is addressed to the President of the United States, the General Secretary of the United Nations, and the Speaker of the EU Parliament. Our calls to action are the epitome of international cooperation and pressure in preservation and protection of human rights. Together, we vehemently urge these highly esteemed institutions to intervene and facilitate the release of these journalists.
The time to act is now. Advocacy for press freedom is advocacy for truth, justice, and democracy, all of which are currently under threat in Bangladesh. By signing this petition, you are joining a movement advocating for the immediate release of those journalists in Bangladesh who have been wrongfully imprisoned without any bail hearing. Together, we can make a stand against oppression and fight for a safer and freer journalistic context in Bangladesh. Please, sign this petition today.
Dr. Yunus’ Regime: Suppressing the Media
The state of the media under Dr. Yunus' rule has become dire. Journalists are now the primary targets, facing lawsuits, arrests, and even murder—while their perpetrators roam free.
Over the past five months, media suppression has reached an alarming peak. Journalists are being silenced through lawsuits, attacks, arrests, job terminations, and financial oppression.
Independent journalism is being crushed by attacks on newspaper offices, revocation of press accreditations, and the freezing of bank accounts. Media ownership is also being forcefully seized.
Today, journalism has become equivalent to a crime!
Over the past five months, the government has employed brutal tactics to take control of the media:
🔸 600+ journalists sued
🔸 50+ media and press offices attacked
🔸 6 journalists murdered
🔸 18 journalists arrested
🔸 100+ journalists injured
🔸 1000+ journalists fired or forced to resign
🔸 96 journalists asked to disclose financial records
🔸 168 journalists’ press accreditations revoked
🔸 18 journalists’ bank accounts frozen
🔸 83 journalists’ press club memberships revoked
🔸 Most media houses forcefully taken over
Is this what press freedom looks like? The government seems determined to shut down all avenues of truth. Journalists are facing unprecedented risks. If independent journalism is eradicated in this manner, a dark future awaits both the nation and its people.