Attacks on media, cultural institutions spark alarm over rule of law

We, the undersigned, strongly condemn the violent attacks carried out on 18 December 2025 on the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, two of South Asia's most respected media institutions, as well as the vandalism of Chhayanaut, a leading cultural and educational organisation in Bangladesh.

These apparently coordinated acts mark a grave escalation in attacks on independent media, journalists, activists and cultural spaces. We are also deeply alarmed by credible reports of the public beating and burning to death of Dipu Chandra Das in Bhaluka upazila of Mymensingh on the same night, following allegations of making "derogatory remarks" on religion.

These incidents occurred in the aftermath of the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi, a political activist and prominent figure of the 2024 July Uprising, who was shot in broad daylight in Dhaka on 12 December and died on 18 December 2025. The targeting of politicians, activists, major media houses and cultural institutions—particularly amid heightened political sensitivity ahead of the 2026 national election—raises serious concerns about the erosion of the rule of law and the shrinking space for free expression, civic discourse and democratic participation.

We are particularly alarmed by verified reports that journalists and staff were trapped inside burning media premises, facing imminent risks to their lives. Any failure to respond promptly and effectively in such circumstances directly engages the state's fundamental duty to protect life. The forced temporary suspension of both print and online editions of the newspapers represents an unprecedented disruption to Bangladesh's media landscape and underscores the severity of threats faced by independent journalism.

The attack on Chhayanaut signals a broader hostility towards cultural institutions and artistic expression, revealing an increasingly unsafe environment for diversity of opinion. Together, these developments point to a dangerous convergence of online hate and offline violence, reinforced by impunity, coordinated harassment and long-standing patterns of intimidation.

There has been a documented increase in attacks on freedom of thought and expression this year, including legal harassment and physical intimidation of bauls, journalists, media workers and artists. Several incidents appear to have been fuelled by hate speech and explicit calls to violence circulated online by influential individuals and amplified by affiliated networks. The continued spread of such content highlights the failure of technology platforms to meet their human rights responsibilities and their chronic underinvestment in user safety in the Global Majority.