Media freedom has been curtailed under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus in Bangladesh. Media freedom in the country has been limited by restrictive laws and political pressure. This has been revealed in a report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UNESCO. UNDP and UNESCO, in collaboration with the Embassy of Switzerland, presented a comprehensive study titled ‘Assessment of Bangladesh’s Media Landscape: Freedom and Pluralistic Media’.
It looks at the challenges facing the media in Bangladesh. The report was prepared after consultations with journalists, policy makers and civil society. According to the report, restrictive laws and political pressure have limited media freedom and trust in Bangladesh. Recently, a group of 88 journalists, writers and human rights activists of the country expressed deep concern in a joint statement that cases of harassment of journalists have increased in the interim government. Freedom of expression is being suppressed.