Journalists, human rights advocates, and professionals representing national and international organisations delivered strong and urgent messages at a dialogue on “Media Freedom for Human Rights and Democracy” held on 21 May in London.
Speakers condemned the suppression of the media and the broader violations of civil and human rights under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, stressing that these abuses continue unabated to this day. They expressed solidarity with journalists in Bangladesh who are being detained, threatened, and intimidated on trumpedup charges, and called on the government to immediately release all journalists held under fabricated allegations designed to criminalise truthtelling. They also highlighted that those arrested in the aftermath of the 2024 unrest were targeted on politically motivated and wholly unsubstantiated accusations, leaving them deprived of their most basic freedoms.
Speakers warned that by keeping journalists behind bars, the Bangladeshi authorities are flagrantly breaching the democratic promises made ahead of the February 2025 elections, noting that these media professionals remain stripped of their fundamental rights.
The keynote speaker, William Horsley, a veteran UK journalist who served the BBC for 35 years and now advocates for press freedom through his work with international journalism platforms including the Commonwealth Journalists Association, stressed that a free media is essential for democracy to thrive. In a forceful criticism of the current administration, Horsley stated:
“It is completely unacceptable that prominent and respected Bangladeshi journalists including Shyamal Dutta, Mozammel Haque Babu, Farzana Rupa and Shakil Ahmed are still being detained and their fundamental rights are being denied 18 months after their arrests on spurious and groundless charges following the bloody events of 2024. Until they are released and the charges against them are dropped the government will stand accused of holding press freedom hostage and of breaching the promises it made in order to win last February’s elections.”
Rita Payne, one of the most senior British journalists and former head of BBC South Asia for more than three decades, expressed deep concern about the continued detention and persecution of journalists in Bangladesh. Payne, also an executive member of the Commonwealth Journalists Association (UK), criticised Professor Muhammad Yunus for failing to protect journalists and press freedom despite being a Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
Barrister Tania Ameer, in her address, presented a rigorous and detailed examination of media legislation, legal interpretation, institutional structures, and the broader socio‑political conditions shaping journalistic practice in Bangladesh. Her intervention was widely noted for its depth, clarity, and its ability to connect complex legal discourse with wider questions of democratic fragility, civil liberties, and institutional accountability.
She observed that the ongoing detentions of journalists are not isolated legal matters but part of a systematic campaign to silence opposition, free thinkers, and independent journalism, thereby shielding those in power from scrutiny. She warned that without the establishment of the rule of law and an independent judiciary; such repression would persist regardless of changes in government.
Syed Badrul Ahsan, another CJA member and prominent journalist, stated that following the 2024 unrest, Bangladesh was run by an “illegal regime which systematically destroyed structures and symbols which held the country together.” He sharply criticised the current leadership of journalist organisations in Bangladesh for failing to demand the release of their detained colleagues and for remaining silent in the face of intimidation. He urged journalists and rights activists inside and outside Bangladesh to raise their voices against the continued detention of media professionals.
Nahas Pasha, Editor of the UK’s oldest Bengali newspaper Janomot and CJA Vice President, called for the unconditional and immediate release of all journalists detained without formal charges or on fabricated allegations.
Joining virtually from New York, Farida Yasmin, former President of the National Press Club of Bangladesh, described how the interim government persecuted journalists by stripping them of professional media accreditation, freezing bank accounts, and subjecting them to physical and psychological abuse.
One of the most emotional moments of the event came through a virtual intervention delivered from Australia by Shushma Shashi Dutta, daughter of detained Bangladeshi media figure Shyamal Dutta. Her testimony cut through abstract political analysis and exposed the profound human cost of repression. She spoke of the painful transformation of her father’s identity—from a figure of childhood admiration to a persecuted detainee whose imprisonment has shaken the emotional and social wellbeing of the entire family. Her words underscored that attacks on journalists do not remain confined to professional spheres; they penetrate deeply into the private realities of family life. She appealed for urgent support for her father, noting that he has been held without trial for more than 600 days, suffers from life‑threatening health conditions, and is being denied urgently needed medication. Her plea highlighted the severe humanitarian implications of prolonged, politically motivated detention.
London‑Bangla Press Club General Secretary Md Akramul Hossain noted that while journalists in Bangladesh have faced challenges for years, the situation has now become significantly more complicated and alarming, with frequent reports of journalists being assaulted while performing their professional duties.
Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury, former Bangladeshi minister, advocate for democracy and human rights, and lead adviser to Protect Bangladesh, delivered the vote of thanks. He called for continued support from journalists and rights activists to raise these concerns on global platforms, stating that the current government must heed these demands if it wishes to demonstrate genuine commitment to democracy.
The event attracted a diverse audience of journalists, legal experts, academics, human rights advocates, business representatives, and members of the Bangladeshi and other diaspora from across the United Kingdom. Among them wereUK-based right advocacy platform New Dawn Initiative (NDI) President Muhammad Harmuz Ali and General Secretary Barrister Masud Akter; business personality and Secretary, Sanatan Association UK Rabin Paul; Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee UK President Syed Enam,community personality and entrepreneur Syed Ehsan, prominent community organisers and businessmen ASM Misbah and Mohammad Ali Majnu; Small Drops founder Balananthini (Nela) Balasubramaniam; diaspora journalist Hamshika Krishnamoorthy; senior journalists Answer Ahmed Ullah, Hamid Mahmud, Sarwar Kabir, Soeb Kabir, Afzal Hussain, and Shah M. Rahman Belal; writer Azizul Ambiaand chartered accountant Selim Ahmed.
The participants expressed strong solidarity with the speakers and commended the Protect Bangladesh for organising the conference and drawing urgent attention to the erosion of media freedom, democracy and human rights in Bangladesh.
Ashequn Nabi Chowdhury, a senior journalist and former Press Minister at the Bangladesh High Commission in Londonmoderated the dialogue. The programme was organised by Protect Bangladesh, a UKbased advocacy platform, in association with Londonbased television channels EyeMedia and Bridge Bangla.
