Bangladesh interim government revokes credentials of 50 journalists

Bangladesh interim government: The Bangladesh government has revoked the press credentials of dozens of journalists in a move that critics call an “alarming” form of censorship.

The interim Information Ministry in the past week scrapped the accreditation of over 50 journalists.

Over 20 senior journalists had their credentials revoked on October 30, and another 30 suffered the same fate on Sunday, local media reported.

Some of those affected include Zafar Wazed, former director-general of the Press Institute of Bangladesh; former press minister Shaban Mahmud; and journalists at outlets including ATN News, Ekattor TV, and The Dhaka Times, according to the Dhaka Tribune.

Some media watchdogs said journalists who were supportive of the ousted Awami League political party appear to have been mainly affected.

The Awami League government fell in August after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country after 15 years of power. Since then, an interim government has been formed under Nobel-laureate Muhammad Yusuf to prepare the country for new elections.

In response to a query for comment, the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington, after publication, directed VOA to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The ministry did not immediately respond to VOA's email sent Wednesday.

The revoking of press credentials should be protested because of its “chilling” effect on other journalists in the country and around the world, Celia Mercier of Reporters Without Borders, known as RSF, told VOA in an email.

“Such decisions threaten the growth of opposition media,” she said. “This will encourage self-censorship, and critical space in media will shrink.”

Media watchdog the Committee to Protect Journalists also condemned the action, saying on social media, “The interim authorities must safeguard press freedom during this critical period of the country's political transition.”

Hasina’s fall was prompted by student-led mass protests over proposed changes in university admissions policies and a deadly response by security forces. During the unrest, five journalists were killed, and others were beaten and fired at.

Reporters at the time told VOA they were being threatened for their coverage.

The country currently ranks 165 out of 180 on the World Press Freedom Index, where 1 shows the best environment. RSF, which compiles the index, described the country as a “hostile” environment for journalists, where editors often avoid challenging the government.

During the last months of Hasina’s rule, “draconian” laws for journalists emerged in the country, according to RSF.

Her government introduced the Cyber Security Act in January, which allows authorities to imprison journalists for up to 14 years for publishing content that goes against the prime minister and the party in power.