Five journalists were fired after student protesters stormed the offices of City Group, investors in Somoy Television, accusing the station of “propaganda.” The protest, led by Hasnat Abdullah from the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement, took place on December 17, with the students demanding accountability for what they claimed was biased reporting that supported a fallen political party.
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The students, who were part of the August revolution that overthrew Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government, argued that Somoy Television twisted their comments and spread political propaganda. Despite their demands, they denied submitting a list of journalists to be fired. However, five journalists, including senior editor Omar Faroque, received termination letters without explanation from the station’s management.
The incident has sparked concerns about press freedom in Bangladesh, where the media has been under increasing pressure since the regime change. Many journalists, particularly those perceived as supporters of Hasina’s government, now face police investigations and legal cases. Press freedom in the country has been severely compromised, with Bangladesh ranking 165th out of 180 on the Reporters Without Borders press freedom index.
