“Editors removed... jailed since change of government,” says senior Bangladesh Editor

Dhaka (Bangladesh), May 03, 2025 (ANI): On World Press Freedom Day, concerns over media independence in Bangladesh have resurfaced, with journalist Golam Rahman, Editor of Ajker Patrika, a Bengali daily newspaper of Bangladesh, on May 03 voicing alarm over growing censorship and lack of transparency in the country's media. Speaking about the political shift that occurred in 2024, Rahman pointed to a pattern of editorial reshuffles and arrests, describing it as a "silent crisis." “Since the changeover in Bangladesh last year, July-August, we find there are changes in the media sector. We also find that some of the editors were removed from their positions in newspapers and television, and some new people joined them. Their process of joining is not very transparent. Because of a lack of transparency, the selection of those key positions in the media is challenging. We find there is a silent crisis in the media that is going on because the media is writing and reporting matters, but many of our editors and key people in the media are not feeling safe to write and express their opinions. They are a bit shaky to express their opinion in full length...We understand some people were in prison, some people were arrested, and some key editors of the newspapers were also arrested. Those are stumbling blocks in the freedom of expression...,” said Golam Rahman.