Taskforce urges stronger safeguards for freedom of expression in Bangladesh

Speakers at a task force meeting on Wednesday stressed the need for stronger coordination, legal safeguards and institutional reforms to protect freedom of expression in Bangladesh amid growing concerns over harassment, intimidation and restrictions on civic and cultural spaces.

The discussion, held in Dhaka, brought together journalists, academics and human rights activists under a Freedom of Expression (FoE) Taskforce initiative supported by the Association for Progressive Communications and organised by the rights-based research and advocacy organisation VOICE.

Participants observed that freedom of expression continues to face significant challenges in an evolving socio-political environment, with media professionals, human rights defenders, cultural activists and members of marginalised communities increasingly exposed to threats, harassment and, in some cases, physical attacks.

They underscored the importance of building a collective and coordinated response to these challenges, alongside conducting a comprehensive assessment of the current state of freedom of expression in the country.

Musharrat Mahera, deputy director of VOICE, said incidents of rights violations against journalists, as well as attacks on gender-diverse and Indigenous communities, have persisted even after the recent elections. She noted that these trends point to weakened social cohesion and gaps in the enforcement of existing laws.

“In this context, there is a strong expectation that the new government will prioritise strengthening legal frameworks and ensuring a more robust judicial system to support people-centred policy reforms,” she added.

Presenting media monitoring findings covering March 2026 to the present, Priyata Tripura, Programme Officer at VOICE, emphasised that the protection of freedom of expression is central to the realisation of broader human rights.

“The full realisation of human rights is not possible without the protection of freedom of expression. Ensuring a free and independent media, alongside space for open cultural expression, is critically important,” she said.

Among those who joined the discussion were journalists Sultan Mahmud and Ismail Hossain, rights activist Dalia Chakma, along with Sharaban Tohura, Ariful Hasan and development consultant Monjur Rashid.

Participants expressed concern over press freedom violations, threats to journalists’ safety, violence against marginalised communities, restrictions on religious and cultural expression, and the criminalisation of online speech.

They reaffirmed their commitment to remain vocal and actively engaged in advocating for the protection of fundamental civic rights.

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