Geneva: Expressing grave concern over the deteriorating media safety situation in Bangladesh, global media rights watchdog Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) has strongly condemned the killing of a journalist and a series of mob attacks on leading newspaper offices in the country.
In a statement issued from Geneva, PEC urged the caretaker government in Dhaka to immediately ensure the safety and security of journalists and media institutions across Bangladesh. The appeal follows the murder of digital media editor Imdadul Haque Milon (45) and violent attacks on the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star in the capital, Dhaka.
According to PEC, Milon, who worked with online news portal Bartaman Somoy and was an office bearer of the Shalua Press Club, was shot by four motorcycle-borne assailants at Shalua market on the evening of December 18. He was rushed to Khulna Medical College Hospital in critical condition, where doctors declared him brought dead.
PEC noted that Milon is the 163rd journalist killed globally this year and the fifth media fatality in Bangladesh in 2025, after Assaduzzaman Tuhin, Bibhuranjan Sarkar, Wahed-uz-Zaman Bulu, and Khandahar Shah Alam.
The organisation also condemned the late-night vandalism and arson attacks on the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, carried out while journalists and staff were still working inside. Both newspapers were reportedly forced to suspend publication of their Friday editions. During the chaos, New Age editor Nurul Kabir was physically assaulted while attempting to stop the attackers along with other media professionals.
“We strongly condemn the killing of journalist Imdadul Haque Milon and the horrific mob attacks on prominent newspapers in Dhaka. This is a direct assault on press freedom and must be denounced in the strongest possible terms,” said PEC president Blaise Lempen. He added that protecting media freedom is crucial as Bangladesh prepares for general elections scheduled for February 12, 2026.
PEC’s South and Southeast Asia representative Nava Thakuria said the violence escalated after interim government chief Muhammad Yunus confirmed the death of Inquilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi, who succumbed to bullet injuries in Singapore after being airlifted from Dhaka for advanced treatment.
Hadi had emerged as a prominent face during last year’s student-led mass uprising that led to the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Following the unrest, Yunus reportedly spoke to editors of the attacked newspapers and assured them of government support and enhanced security.
PEC reiterated its call for an impartial investigation into the attacks and urged authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice, warning that continued violence against journalists poses a serious threat to democracy and free expression in Bangladesh.
