A senior Bangladeshi television journalist who was recently threatened by extremist elements has said she was falsely branded as a supporter of the Awami League and an aide of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, despite having no political affiliation whatsoever. Speaking in an interview with India Today, Global TV Bangladesh’s head of news, Naznin Munni, explained that while journalists in the country have faced intimidation in the past, the intensity and frequency of threats have escalated sharply over the last two weeks.
Naznin Munni, a well-known news anchor in Dhaka, said the individuals who issued the threats accused her of being aligned with the Awami League and closely associated with Sheikh Hasina. She stated that this allegation was the basis for the intimidation she faced. According to her, the youths who confronted the channel claimed to be part of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, which had played a role in last year’s uprising against Hasina, although the organisation has since denied any connection with the incident.
She said neither she nor the channel has clarity on who the individuals really are or what their political ideology may be. Naznin added that the police have assured her that CCTV footage from the area will be examined and an inquiry will be carried out to identify those involved.
On December 21, a group of youths reportedly entered the Global TV office in Dhaka and demanded that Naznin Munni be removed from her position as head of news. They allegedly warned that if their demand was not met, the channel would face consequences similar to those suffered by Prothom Alo and The Daily Star.
Both Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, Bangladesh’s two largest and most influential media organisations, were recently vandalised and set on fire during a fresh wave of unrest in Dhaka. The violence followed the killing of anti-India youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi, an incident that sparked nationwide protests, many of which later took on a strong anti-India character. In the course of these disturbances, not only media houses but also Hindu communities and cultural institutions were targeted.
Naznin Munni said the broadcaster has advised her not to come to the office for her own safety. She revealed that she has stayed away from her workplace for the past two days after being told that the overall security situation was unsafe.
She emphasised that the recent attacks on prominent media houses have created a climate of fear within the journalistic community. According to her, while threats against journalists are not new in Bangladesh, the developments of the last 15 days have been particularly alarming. The arson attacks on the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, she said, have deeply shaken journalists and raised serious concerns about press freedom and personal safety.
These incidents are increasingly being viewed as part of a broader pattern of intimidation directed at journalists and independent media outlets, with critics alleging that extremist groups are operating with little restraint under the current administration led by Muhammad Yunus.
