UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed concern over reports that members of Bangladesh’s military and police attacked and detained journalists ahead of the parliamentary elections due on Thursday, February 12, according to his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric. Speaking at a briefing, Dujarric said it is “clear and important that the elections in Bangladesh take place in an atmosphere that is peaceful, in a way that is inclusive, in line with Bangladesh’s own constitution and international obligations.”
The comments followed reports that army personnel entered the offices of The Bangladesh Times and detained 21 employees, including journalists and support staff, while separate accounts say police assaulted a dozen reporters covering street protests. The detained staff were later released, the newspaper reported.
Dujarric described the reports as “extremely worrying” and called on all political actors and their supporters “to reject violence and respect fundamental freedoms, including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association.” He added that, although the UN will not send election observers without a mandate from the Security Council or General Assembly, the UN’s Bangladesh office has been providing technical support to the government “to ensure the broadest possible participation, to ensure that the election goes well.”
The Daily Star quoted The Bangladesh Times’ mobile journalism editor-in-chief, Sabbir Ahmed, saying army personnel removed 21 employees from the publication’s office. An officer identified by the Star as Major Fahad told the paper the journalists were taken to an army camp “for a discussion” and that it was a “small issue, nothing serious.” Ahmed said he had earlier received a WhatsApp call from someone claiming to be an army member who objected to a video the paper published that showed a person criticizing the army during Friday’s Inqilab Moncho protest in Dhaka.
Ahmed wrote on Facebook that “we are witnessing the most critical time for independent journalism under this interim government. Yet, a media office being targeted like this is unexpected.” Separately, Centrist TV Outlet posted video footage it said showed police assaulting journalists as officers used batons and teargas to break up the Inqilab Moncho protest; media reports said more than 50 people were injured in the police action.
The UN’s public expression of concern underscores international scrutiny of the pre-election environment as Bangladesh prepares to vote.
Original Source: https://www.morungexpress.com/un-chief-concerned-over-attacks-on-journalists-ahead-of-bangladesh-elections-spokesperson
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Publish Date: 2026-02-10 10:46:00
