Bangladesh Tribunal Orders Journalists to Remain in Custody Amid Controversial Case

A special tribunal in Dhaka has ruled that three journalists will remain in jail until their trial in a case linked to a violent uprising that resulted in the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024. The journalists, Mozammel Babu, Farzana Rupa, and Shyamal Dutta, appeared in court on Monday, where the judge scheduled the next hearing for October 25.

The case stems from a student-led uprising that led to hundreds of deaths and eventually led to Hasina being sentenced to death in absentia after fleeing to India. Prosecutors accuse the journalists of inciting violence by posing inflammatory questions to Hasina during a press conference in July 2024, contributing to a brutal crackdown on demonstrators.

Human rights organizations have condemned the detention, calling it a severe attack on press freedom. Kunal Majumder from the Committee to Protect Journalists stated that criminalizing editorial decisions is a dangerous precedent for democracy in Bangladesh. The families of the detained journalists claim their loved ones are being held unlawfully, highlighting the ongoing tensions in the country.

Source: www.independent.co.uk