Failure to address impunity in Bangladesh fuels mob attacks on media: UN expert Irene Khan

Dhaka [Bangladesh], December 24 (ANI): Mob attacks targeting prominent media organisations and cultural institutions in Bangladesh have raised serious concerns, with a United Nations expert urging authorities to act swiftly to investigate the incidents and ensure accountability, according to The Daily Star.
The attacks included arson and vandalism at the offices of The Daily Star and Prothom Alo, damage to the Chhayanaut cultural centre, and an assault on the editor of New Age.
These incidents took place amid nationwide protests following the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi. Hadi, a well-known youth leader of the July 2024 uprising, was shot dead by assailants in public view.
"I strongly condemn the targeted killing of an inspiring leader as well as the orchestrated mob violence against independent journalists and artists which followed the announcement of his death," Irene Khan, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, said in a statement.
Khan warned that escalating hostility towards journalists and cultural figures poses grave risks, particularly in the run-up to elections.
"The weaponisation of public anger against journalists and artists is dangerous at any time, and especially now as the country prepares for elections. It could have a chilling effect on media freedom, minority voices and dissenting views with serious consequences for democracy," she said, as reported by The Daily Star.
The UN expert noted that the recent violence reflects deeper structural failures. "The mob attacks did not emerge in a vacuum but are the consequences of the failure of the interim government to address impunity and uphold media and artistic freedom," she said.
Highlighting a broader pattern of repression, Khan said, "Over the past year, freedom of expression, especially media freedom, has come under significant pressure in Bangladesh from both state and non-state actors, online and offline."
According to the statement, since August 5, 2024, hundreds of journalists have faced arrest on what were described as "politically motivated, dubious charges of murder, terrorism and other serious crimes," with many subjected to prolonged arbitrary detention. The interim government, the statement added, has largely continued earlier practices of impunity, effectively normalising threats and attacks without consequences, The Daily Star reported.
"When hate speech and smear campaigns endanger the safety and reputation of media outlets, editors, journalists, artists and civil society leaders, and no corrective action is taken by the government or social media platforms, then it is only a matter of time before the words translate into violence," Khan said.
She urged authorities to ensure accountability, stating, "I call on the government to investigate the killing of Hadi and the attacks on media outlets promptly, impartially, transparently and hold perpetrators to account with full due process."
Khan also stressed the need for immediate protective measures ahead of the elections, calling on the government to safeguard journalists and civil society actors from further harm.
"If the interim government is to live up to its promise to deliver safe and fair elections, it must uphold the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and ensure that journalists, human rights defenders, civil society leaders, political candidates, women and minorities are able to exercise their fundamental rights without fear of reprisals," she said. (ANI)