Paris, May 4 : A leading human rights organisation expressed grave concern over the continuing "intimidation, harassment, arbitrary detention, and unjust imprisonment" of journalists across Bangladesh for the legitimate exercise of their professional duties.

Extending solidarity with journalists in Bangladesh on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day observed on Sunday, Justice Makers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) stated that the operational space for independent journalism in the country has been steadily and alarmingly shrinking.

"Legislative instruments ostensibly enacted to safeguard national security and public order are increasingly being misused to suppress dissent, criminalise investigative reporting, and cultivate a climate of fear among media practitioners," the rights body stated.

JMBF raised alarm over the prolonged detention and ongoing persecution of several journalists and human rights defenders, including Farzana Rupa, Sakil Ahmed, Shahriar Kabir, Mozammel Hoque Babu and Shamal Datto.

Citing credible reports, the rights body stated these individuals were arrested in 2024 without due process, including the absence of arrest warrants, and were subsequently implicated in multiple serious and, in some cases, "questionable charges" during the tenure of the former Muhammad Yunus-led interim government.

It further noted that their continued detention under the current Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led government raises serious concerns about the persistence of "politically motivated prosecutions" and the "broader pattern of repression" targeting independent voices.

"These cases exemplify a troubling reality in which journalists are penalised not for criminal conduct, but for fulfilling their professional responsibility to hold power to account. The targeting of a female journalist such as Farzana Rupa is particularly concerning, as it underscores the heightened and intersectional risks faced by women in the media sector, including gender-based intimidation and discrimination," the JMBF added.

Asserting that these are not isolated incidents but rather reflect a systemic erosion of press freedom and democratic norms in Bangladesh, the JMBF said, "Journalists across the country are increasingly exposed to arbitrary arrests, intrusive digital surveillance, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), legal harassment, and, in some instances, physical violence."

Such an environment, it said, fosters widespread self-censorship while undermining the public's fundamental right to access accurate and independent information.

"The ongoing persecution, arbitrary detention, and systematic intimidation of journalists in Bangladesh reflect a deepening political and institutional crisis, wherein state power is being deployed to suppress dissent and manipulate the public narrative. The criminalisation of journalism represents a direct assault on democratic governance and the rule of law," said Charlotte Jacquemart, Advisor to JMBF.

"The international community must recognise these violations not as isolated occurrences, but as part of a broader trajectory of democratic backsliding that necessitates urgent political accountability and sustained diplomatic engagement," she added.

The JMBF called on the international community, including governments, intergovernmental bodies, human rights organisations, and global press freedom advocates, to step up monitoring of the situation in Bangladesh and hold the relevant authorities accountable for violations against journalists and media institutions.

/IANS