PEN International has raised concerns over mounting threats to press freedom in Bangladesh following the assault on four journalists at Rajshahi University earlier this month, allegedly by activists of the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), the student wing of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

In a statement issued on October 21, the international writers’ organisation urged Bangladeshi authorities to ensure prompt, thorough, independent and effective investigations into crimes against journalists and bring those responsible to justice.

The journalists were reportedly attacked on October 4 while documenting a group of JCD activists carrying weapons, including machetes, hockey sticks and bats. The group was allegedly seeking to assault a student union leader over a social media post.

At least 10 people were injured in the incident, including Nur Ahsan Mridul of The Daily Star, Zahidul Islam of Agamir Shomoy, Arifuzzaman Korban of bdnews24.com and Mainul Islam Raju of Samakal.

According to PEN International, the journalists were assaulted while performing their professional duties, while colleagues who tried to intervene were threatened. Attempts were also made to seize journalists’ phones and stop them from recording the incident.

“When journalists are attacked for documenting violence and holding those in power to account, it is not only their safety that is at stake, but the public’s right to be informed,” said Ma Thida, chair of PEN International’s Writers in Prison Committee.

“No political party that claims to defend fundamental rights can tolerate violence against the press or allow those responsible to escape accountability,” she added.

The incident has raised concerns over accountability, as the university administration filed a police case and both the university and JCD formed investigation committees. However, reports suggest that progress in bringing those responsible to justice has been limited.

JCD reportedly expelled two leaders and one activist following the assault. PEN International said internal disciplinary measures could not replace criminal accountability.

The organisation also highlighted a wider pattern of violence and intimidation against journalists across Bangladesh.

On October 15, journalist Lutfozzaman Fakir Alif was shot dead in northern Bangladesh. Alif had investigated suspected corruption and criminal organisations, according to the statement.

A day earlier, at least three journalists were reportedly harassed while covering a clash between two JCD factions in Kushtia. Party activists allegedly confronted journalists attempting to film the incident and tried to delete their footage.

On August 25, three journalists covering a BNP rally in Shariatpur were allegedly punched, slapped and kicked by party leaders and activists. One journalist reported that a BNP leader snatched his phone and tore his press identification card.

The same leader reportedly threatened further violence against journalists, claiming that the party had a list of journalists it intended to target.

Other reported incidents in recent months involved alleged assaults by political activists in Jhenaidah and Jashore. The Bangladesh Association of Journalists documented 51 cases involving attacks, legal harassment, threats and obstruction of professional duties in August alone, the statement said.

PEN International also referred to attacks on the offices of The Daily Star and Prothom Alo in Dhaka in December 2025, when mobs set fire to buildings and forced both newspapers to suspend publication temporarily.

The violence reportedly prompted journalists to conceal their professional identities and exercise greater caution when covering politically sensitive issues, raising concerns about self-censorship.

The organisation noted that threats to press freedom had persisted through changes in government. During former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule, journalists faced restrictive laws, surveillance, arrests and pressure on media outlets.

Following Hasina’s ouster in August 2024, the BNP returned to power promising to protect press freedom and defend journalists against attacks and intimidation. However, repeated allegations of violence involving party members and affiliates have raised questions about whether those commitments are being upheld, PEN International said.

The statement also cited concerns expressed by the United Nations human rights office in December 2025 that the interim government had “largely followed the previous patterns of impunity, normalising attacks and threats without consequences for the perpetrators”.

PEN International said political transitions alone could not guarantee press freedom, warning that violence and intimidation against journalists undermine freedom of expression and the public’s right to information.

It called for those responsible for attacks on journalists to be held accountable and for effective protections to prevent further violence.

PEN International is a worldwide association of writers that promotes literature and defends freedom of expression across the globe.