A group of student protesters in Bangladesh entered the offices of City Group, the investor of Somoy Television, accusing the station of spreading “propaganda.” The students, led by Hasnat Abdullah from the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement, protested on December 17, claiming that the station misrepresented their comments and supported a political party that had fallen out of power.
Hasnat said they supported press freedom, but the media should be unbiased. The protesters did not provide a list of journalists they wanted fired, though five journalists were dismissed, including senior editor Omar Faroque. The station gave no explanation for the firings, which has caused concern among other journalists.
This incident has raised fears among journalists following the recent political changes in Bangladesh. Under the previous government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, media freedom was severely restricted, with accusations of media outlets being pressured and journalists jailed. Press watchdogs continue to criticize the current situation, with Bangladesh ranking 165th out of 180 countries in press freedom.
