Incident
Journalists beaten in Bangladesh in separate incidents as interim government drafts new cyber laws
On a single day in February 2025, groups of men beat at least eight journalists in two separate incidents in rural Bangladesh while they investigated a medical-negligence tip and a land dispute; the incidents came as the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus drafted new cyber ordinances rights groups said could add legal risk on top of the physical one.1
What happened
On February 3, 2025, ten to twelve men beat Samakal correspondent Shohag Khan Sujon with a hammer and knife while he investigated allegations of medical negligence in Shariatpur district, and four other journalists who intervened were also beaten. The same day, in Laxmipur district, four correspondents covering a land dispute were beaten with bamboo sticks by a separate group that also fired guns, wounding one journalist with shrapnel. Days earlier, British freelance journalist Shafiur Rahman received threatening emails after publishing an article about a government security meeting, warning him to "stop or suffer the consequences." The Committee to Protect Journalists said the interim government's draft Cyber Protection Ordinance and Personal Data Protection Ordinance, introduced in January 2025, risked giving authorities broad new power over online content and user data on top of the continuing physical violence journalists faced covering local disputes.123
What reason was given
Stated justificationNo government official offered a public justification for the beatings, which were carried out by private individuals; the interim government described its draft cyber ordinances as necessary data-protection and security measures.123
What changed for reporting
Reporters covering local corruption and land disputes in rural Bangladesh faced serious physical violence in a single day, while a freelance journalist covering national-security matters received written threats, illustrating the range of pressure facing the press during the political transition.2
Timeline
2025
Who acted
| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
|---|---|---|
| Muhammad Yunus | other | Chief Adviser, interim government of Bangladesh |
Sources
Claims and evidence
Each numbered claim quotes the source it rests on.
- A freelance journalist received threatening emails warning him to stop his reporting or face consequences.
back off before it's too late
Bangladesh journalists face threats from attacks, investigations, and looming cyber laws, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2025-02-18.Claim 455, checked 2026-09-22. - CPJ's Asia coordinator said democracy could not flourish without robust journalism and called for legal protection of the press.
Democracy cannot flourish without robust journalism
Bangladesh journalists face threats from attacks, investigations, and looming cyber laws, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2025-02-18.Claim 456, checked 2026-09-22. - CPJ urged Bangladesh's authorities to amend the proposed cyber ordinances so they would not undermine press freedom.
amend proposed laws that could undermine press freedom.
Bangladesh journalists face threats from attacks, investigations, and looming cyber laws, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2025-02-18.Claim 457, checked 2026-09-22.