A total of 94 incidents involving violence, intimidation and other rights violations against journalists and media outlets were documented across Bangladesh during the first six months of 2026, according to the Quick Response Support Team (QRS).
The incidents, documented by rights organisation VOICE with support from International Media Support (IMS), included nine cases in January, 19 in February, nine in March, 24 in April, 24 in May and nine in June.
Expressing deep concern over the continued challenges to journalists' safety and security, QRS said the incidents undermine press freedom, restrict access to information and weaken democratic accountability.
The multi-stakeholder platform urged the government and relevant authorities to ensure prompt, impartial and transparent investigations into attacks on journalists, bring perpetrators to justice and strengthen legal and institutional safeguards for media professionals.
According to the report, journalists covering drug trafficking, corruption and alleged irregularities in public projects were among those targeted.
In Jashore, Atikuzzaman Rimu, a journalist with Daily Jashore Barta and general secretary of Sharsha Upazila Press Club, was seriously injured while reporting on alleged drug trafficking.
In a separate incident in Savar, SA TV correspondent Saddam Hossain, Desh TV journalists Taifur Rahman Tuhin and Monirul Haque Kaiyum, along with their driver Joynal Abedin, were seriously injured while gathering information on alleged drug-related activities.
The report also highlighted attacks on journalists investigating corruption.
In Manikganj, Ananda TV journalist Obaidur Rahman was allegedly assaulted while reporting on irregularities in the construction of a culvert. He sustained serious head injuries and is reportedly suffering long-term health complications.
QRS also cited an incident in Mirpur where Bangladesh Pratidin journalist Nehal Ahmed Pranto and Bangladesh Times journalist Tasbir Iqbal were allegedly assaulted by police while covering an eviction drive.
The report expressed concern over what it described as politically motivated criminal cases against journalists.
It referred to the arrest of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) and Somoy TV correspondent Jiten Barua in Khagrachhari after he was implicated in a case linked to the July mass uprising. His bail application was later rejected.
Another journalist, Mahfuzur Rahman Shishir of Daily Sokal, was allegedly assaulted while covering an event after being accused of supporting a banned political party.
QRS also raised concerns over restrictions on journalists' freedom of movement, citing an incident in which Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) correspondent and Overseas Correspondents Association Bangladesh (OCAB) member Nazrul Islam Mithu was prevented from travelling abroad following an intelligence objection.
The platform further criticised the continued use of digital legislation against journalists, referring to the arrest of Agrajatra Pratidin journalist Rezanur Islam in Bogura after he published a report concerning the State Minister for Local Government Engineering Department (LGED). He was later granted bail.
QRS said the incidents reflected a broader pattern of violence, intimidation, legal harassment and restrictions against journalists, creating a climate of fear and self-censorship.
It called on law enforcement agencies to respect journalists' professional rights and avoid actions that obstruct media work, stressing that protecting journalists is essential for safeguarding freedom of expression, public access to information and democratic governance.
The Quick Response Support Team, which began operating on 1 January 2026, is a multi-stakeholder platform comprising journalists, civil society representatives, Indigenous rights activists and academics. It said this was its inaugural baseline report and that it would publish regular monthly or quarterly updates on the safety of journalists in Bangladesh.
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