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The Newspaper Owners' Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) on Thursday expressed deep concern over the recent "untoward incident" involving the Daily Janakantha newspaper as well as the overall freedom of press and the safety of journalists.
"We firmly believed that fundamental rights like the freedom of information, expression of opinion, and the freedom of the media would be ensured as the countrymen were united in the mass uprising with the expectation of establishing a free, impartial, and democratic society," the association said in a statement.
"Unfortunately, that expectation has not been fulfilled in the last one year," it said.
The NOAB said it has noticed that an attempt was made to evict the owner of the Daily Janakantha by creating a "mob" to realise demands.
"Had there been any payment issue of the employees, it could have been settled through the labour court. Any dispute related to news or content could have been resolved by filing a complaint with the Bangladesh Press Council. But instead of doing so, an unpleasant situation has been created in the newspaper's office and on its portal," the NOAB mentioned.
The association, referring to a report of the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), said some 496 journalists faced harassment during last one year (August 2024 to July 2025).
"Considering the above situation, we, on behalf of NOAB, demand that the government take urgent steps to ensure media freedom in order to build a free and democratic society," it said, adding the culture of threatening and intimidating the owners by creating a "mob" in any newspaper or media outlet has to be stopped.
"We believe that ensuring the safety and freedom of press will further strengthen the foundation of a democratic state," added NOAB.