Journalism today faces unprecedented attacks worldwide, targeted by powerful actors regardless of the size or influence of the targeted media outlet . Politicians, security forces, and individuals wielding technological tools are simultaneously undermining legacy or mainstream media (MSM). Donald Trump set the tone when he branded journalists “enemies of the people.” In his second term, the attacks have only grown more brazen. Politicians across the globe have followed suit, no longer willing to face scrutiny, dismissing investigations as nothing but conspiracies. On the battlefield, the situation is even grimmer. In Israel, the campaign to silence coverage of atrocities has broken all records. According to the United Nations Israel killed more journalists in the past two years than in the two World Wars, wars in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq combined. Elsewhere, too, journalists are routinely targeted by security forces who operate with impunity, thanks to weak civilian leaders...

After four years of consultations with UN experts, Law Minister Anisul Haque has now outrightly rejected the most crucial part of their recommendations, saying the government won’t repeal sections 21 and 28 of the Digital Security Act (DSA) . He promised more consultations on amending other parts of the law and stopping its abuse. We learnt of this after the recommendations made by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) were published in the Bangla daily Prothom Alo .  Before delving into the OHCHR’s recommendations , it must be noted here that well before the DSA was enacted, there were widespread concerns about its likely impact on freedom of expression as the proposed provisions appeared harsher than the preceding law, the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act 2006. Media representatives including the Editors’ Council were at the forefront of demanding amendments in the draft legislation. They identified sections 21, 25, 28, 31, 32 and 43 of t...

On November 2, 2022, as the world observes the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists for the ninth year, it's only proper to remind our readers a sad but glaring fact about how Bangladesh is doing in this regard. Just two days before, a Dhaka court,  for the 93rd time , granted the Rapid Action Battalion's (Rab) request for more time to complete their investigation into the killings of journalist couple Sagar-Runi. Though no one should ever foretell any judicial action, in this case, people's presumption that the investigating official would certainly hit a century in seeking time extensions should be forgiven. It is also the 10th anniversary of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity. Ironically, more than 10 years have passed since those ghastly double murders took place on February 11, 2012. It's not just the murders of Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi that remain unsolved; according to the Unesco Observat...