London, March 4 (.) The Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA) welcomed the commitment made by Bangldesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to restore the rule of law in the country.

In a statement addressed to Prime Minister Rahman, the leadership of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and Commonwealth news media, the CJA called on the new government to immediately release dozens of journalists who have remained in jail for over a year on what it described as spurious charges, including allegations of murder, in violation of their fundamental rights.

Welcoming the relatively free and fair elections held in Bangladesh on February 12,the Association noted that in 2025, the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus had announced the withdrawal of 16,429 groundless cases as part of efforts to restore faith in the justice system and acknowledge the suffering of those falsely accused.

Among those still detained, the CJA highlighted the case of its Vice-President Shyamal Dutta, the long-serving Editor of Bhorer Kagoj, who was arrested in September 2024 in connection with what the Association termed a baseless murder charge.

Since his arrest, Dutta and several others have reportedly been held in harsh conditions and denied proper legal representation and bail. The CJA further expressed concern that since July 2024, hundreds of journalists and media workers in Bangladesh have been physically attacked, with several killed. It alleged that many of these incidents have occurred with complete impunity. Additionally, numerous media professionals were reportedly dismissed from their positions and stripped of press accreditation due to perceived political affiliations.

The statement also recalled that in October 2024, 56 Commonwealth Heads of Government adopted the Commonwealth Principles on Freedom of Expression and the Role of the Media in Good Governance during their meeting in Samoa.

The Principles recognise governments’ duty to protect journalists and call on Member States to act decisively to end impunity through impartial and effective investigations into killings, attacks and ill-treatment of media workers.

Urging the new government to take corrective steps, the CJA called for the immediate release of jailed journalists, decisive action to end impunity for crimes against media workers, and safeguards to ensure journalists can perform their duties with full legal protection.

Citing Irene Khan, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, the Association noted that how Bangladesh’s courts handle cases involving detained journalists would be “a test of the pledges made by the new government.” The statement was issued by Chris Cobain on behalf of the Commonwealth Journalists Association.

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