Censorship in Bangladesh refers to the government censorship of the press and infringement of freedom of speech. Article 39 of the constitution of Bangladesh protects free speech.
According to Human Rights Watch, the government of Bangladesh is using sophisticated equipment to block websites critical of the government and carrying out surveillance on online traffic. Brad Adams, Asia Director of Human Rights Watch, has accused Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina of marching towards authoritarianism through intimidating the free press and cracking down on freedom of expression. Editors told the HRW that they censor 50 to 80 percent of the stories they get as a form of self censorship to prevent trouble with the government.
''Asia Times'' has described Bangladesh as an Orwellian dystopia. Freedom of expression has decline in Bangladesh according to the Global Expression Report 2018-19 by
Article 19.
History
The Government has approved the usage of
Deep packet inspection
Deep packet inspection (DPI) is a type of data processing that inspects in detail the data being sent over a computer network, and may take actions such as alerting, blocking, re-routing, or logging it accordingly. Deep packet inspection is oft ...
to monitor web traffic.
According to
Freedom House
Freedom House is a non-profit, majority U.S. government funded organization in Washington, D.C., that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom, and human rights. Freedom House was founded in October 1941, and Wendell Wil ...
, Bangladesh is partly free. Freedom House has reported that the Awami League government has consolidated its power through the intimidation of political rivals and journalists. The government of Bangladesh throttled internet speed during the
2018 Bangladesh road-safety protests
A series of public protests in Bangladesh advocating improved road safety were held from 29 July to 8 August 2018. They were sparked by the deaths of two high-school students in Dhaka struck by a bus operated by an unlicensed driver who was rac ...
to prevent information from being uploaded
In May 2019, the Government of Bangladesh arrested three people, including a lawyer and poet, over content posted online.
The Government of Bangladesh increased suppression of the press following the
COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh
The COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The virus was confirmed to have spread to Bangladesh in March 2020. The first ...
. After Netra news, based in Sweden, claiming two million would die in the pandemic in Bangladesh, government intelligence agents visited the mother of its editor, Tasneem Khalil, in Sylhet. They made her call her son and ask him to stop publishing news against the government. They visited her after a warning against "rumors" by
Hasan Mahmud
Shakib Al Mahmmad Tamim( bn, হাসান মাহমুদ; born 12 October 1999) is a Bangladeshi cricketer. He made his international debut for the Bangladesh cricket team in March 2020.
Domestic career
He made his first-class debut fo ...
, the Minister of Information. According to The Diplomat, any information that is deemed critical of Sheikh Hasina led Awami League is called "rumors" by the government. The government has suspended doctors, government officers, and academics for criticizing the government response to COVID-19.
As Part of an anti-pornography campaign the government of Bangladesh banned 20 thousand websites and blogs.
Mustafa Jabbar
Mustafa Jabbar (, ; born 12 August 1949) is a Bangladeshi businessman, technology entrepreneur and the current Minister of Post and Telecommunication in the Government of Bangladesh. He also served as the president of Bangladesh Association ...
, ICT Minister, described it as part of his "war on pornography". One of the blogged websites was somewhereinblog.net which is blogging website that bans explicit content and is a partner of
Deutsche Welle
Deutsche Welle (; "German Wave" in English), abbreviated to DW, is a German public, state-owned international broadcaster funded by the German federal tax budget. The service is available in 32 languages. DW's satellite television service con ...
. Jabbar supported the ban by stating that the website published content which was critical of the government and Islam.
In 2021, the Bangladeshi Government was suspected to be using the
Pegasus
Pegasus ( grc-gre, Πήγασος, Pḗgasos; la, Pegasus, Pegasos) is one of the best known creatures in Greek mythology. He is a winged divine stallion usually depicted as pure white in color. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as hor ...
spyware.
Laws
The
Digital Security Act The Digital Security Act, 2018 is a digital security law in Bangladesh. This act was passed with the aim of preventing the spread of racism; sectarianism; extremism; terrorist propaganda; and hatred against religious or ethnic minorities through soc ...
has been criticized as a tool to suppress the press. According to Reuters, the Digital Security Act had a chilling effect on free speech and the media. The law penalizes journalist for obtaining information, documents, and pictures from government offices without government authorization. This, according to Professor Asif Nazrul of Dhaka University, is a threat to investigative journalism in Bangladesh. The law allows the arrest of journalists without warrants and restricts bail. The editor of ''Manab Zamin'', Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, reported that the journalists were practicing self censorship.
More than one thousand cases have been filed under this act according to Amnesty International, which describes the law as "draconian".
The Broadcast Act 2018 is a law designed to regulate broadcast media. The law allows the arrest of journalist without warrants and restricts bail.
The law is aimed to crack down on talk shows on television.
Litigation
The Government of Bangladesh and activists of
Bangladesh Awami League
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
have filled around 80 criminal cases against
Mahfuz Anam
Mahfuz (or Mohammed) (Harari language, Harari: መሕፉዝ, ar, محفوظ; died July 1517) was a Harari people, Harari Garad, Emir of Harar and Governor of Zeila in the Adal Sultanate.
Life and reign
Mahfuz led raids into the provinces of Et ...
, the editor of ''The Daily Star'', in courts around the country forcing Anam to move around the country seeking bail in different courts. The cases seek 8 billion taka in damages from him. The government has also prevent Anam from covering events of Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina Wazed (''née'' Sheikh Hasina ; ; bn, শেখ হাসিনা ওয়াজেদ, Shēkh Hasinā, , born 28 September 1947) is a Bangladeshi politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Prime Minister ...
. In 2015, the government asked companies to stop advertising in ''The Daily Star''. Anam was forced to reduce the number of editorials he wrote.
Organizations
The
National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre
National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre is a national-level intelligence agency of Bangladesh responsible for monitoring, collecting, and recording information and communication data. It is also responsible for the interception of electronic ...
is able to block content critical of the government through the usage of ''“Content Blocking and Filtering System”''. The Centre monitors all electronic communication in Bangladesh.
Games
Various games were blocked in the past. A lot of different internet sites also cannot offer services in Bangladesh.
Film
In 1991, Bangladesh Censor Board censored ''Remembrance of '71'', a documentary by Tanvir Mokammel, on the Bangladesh Liberation war.
In 1994, Bangladesh Censor Board banned ''
Nodir Naam Modhumoti
''Nodir Naam Modhumoti'' (translated as ''The River Named Modhumoti'') is a 1996 Bangladeshi Bengali language film directed by Tanvir Mokammel. It won 20th Bangladesh National Film Awards for the Best Story, Best Dialogue and Best Male Playback ...
'', by
Tanvir Mokammel
Tanvir Mokammel (born 8 March 1955) is a Bangladeshi filmmaker and writer. He is the recipient of Ekushey Padak in 2017. He won Bangladesh National Film Awards total ten times for the films ''Nodir Naam Modhumoti'' (1995), '' Chitra Nodir Pare'' ( ...
, for being "anti-nationalistic".The film was released after Awami League returned to power.
In 1995, the Censor Board objected to ''
Muktir Gaan
''Muktir Gaan'' ( bn, মুক্তির গান ''The Song of Freedom'') is a 1995 Bangladeshi documentary film directed by Tareque Masud and Catherine Masud. This is a documentary film which explores the impact of cultural identity on the ...
'', by
Tareque Masud
Tareque Masud (6 December 1956 – 13 August 2011) was a Bangladeshi independent film director, film producer, screenwriter and lyricist. He first found success with the films ''Muktir Gaan'' (1995) and ''Matir Moina'' (2002), for which he won thr ...
and
Catherine Masud
Catherine Masud ( bn, ক্যাথরিন মাসুদ) is an American-born filmmaker, residing in Bangladesh from 1995–2015. She now lives in the United States. She has collaborated with her husband & filmmaking partner Tareque Masud ...
, as it believed the songs in the documentary were pro-Awami League, then the opposition party. The film was released after Awami League returned to power.
In 2005, the Ministry of Home Affairs tried to censor ''Teardrops of
Karnaphuli'', a documentary the effect of
Kaptai Dam
Kaptai Dam ( bn, কাপ্তাই বাঁধ) is on the Karnaphuli River at Kaptai Upazila, Kaptai, upstream from Chittagong in Rangamati District, Bangladesh. It is an earth-fill embankment dam with a reservoir (known as Kaptai Lake) wat ...
on the indigenous community in
Chittagong Hill Tracts
The Chittagong Hill Tracts ( bn, পার্বত্য চট্টগ্রাম, Parbotto Chottogram), often shortened to simply the Hill Tracts and abbreviated to CHT, are group of districts within the Chittagong Division in southeast ...
. The documentary was made by
Tanvir Mokammel
Tanvir Mokammel (born 8 March 1955) is a Bangladeshi filmmaker and writer. He is the recipient of Ekushey Padak in 2017. He won Bangladesh National Film Awards total ten times for the films ''Nodir Naam Modhumoti'' (1995), '' Chitra Nodir Pare'' ( ...
.
In 2009, the Bangladesh Censor Board refused to allow the release of ''Nomuna'', a satirical film by Enamul Karim Nirjhar, because of the film satirizing political figures of Bangladesh. The Censor board forced the removal of scene showing street harassment from the movie ''
Third Person Singular Number
''Third Person Singular Number'' ( bn, থার্ড পারসন সিঙ্গুলার নাম্বার) is a 2009 Bangladeshi drama film directed by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki and written jointly by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki and Anisul ...
''.
In 2011, the Bangladesh Censor Board banned ''Hridoy Bhanga Dheu'' due to reason that the main villain in the movie wore a
Mujib Coat, a coat worn by
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ( bn, শেখ মুজিবুর রহমান; 17 March 1920 – 15 August 1975), often shortened as Sheikh Mujib or Mujib and widely known as Bangabandhu (meaning ''Friend of Bengal''), was a Bengalis, Beng ...
.
In 2015, Bangladesh Censor Board delayed the release of the first Chakma, an ethnic minority in Bangladesh, language film ''
Mor Thengari
''My Bicycle'' ( Chakma: ''Mor Thengari'') is a Bangladeshi indie film directed by Aung Rakhine. It is the country's first Chakma language film.
The Bangladesh Film Censor Board blocked the commercial release of the film, which speculators have s ...
'' by refusing to give certification to the film. The Ministry of Information in a letter to the Censor board object to some scenes of the film and requested their deletion. The director, Aung Rakhine, withdrew the film rather than cut it.
Press
The Press in Bangladesh started facing restrictions in 1974 after the start of one party
BAKSAL
Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League (BaKSAL) ( bn, বাংলাদেশ কৃষক শ্রমিক আওয়ামী লীগ "Bangladesh Worker-Peasant's People's League"; বাকশাল) was a political front comprising B ...
rule.
The free press felt further censorship under the subsequent military regimes. Following the reinstatement of democracy in 1991, the press started to flourish again.
In 2002, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party government banned the private news network ETV.
In 2008, the Military backed caretaker government banned Sachalayatan, a blogging website.
In 2009, Bangladesh Awami League government blocked YouTube over videos critical of the government management of the
2009 Bangladesh Rifles Mutiny.
In 2010, the Government blocked Facebook over images critical of Islam.
In 2012, the Government blocked YouTube over videos critical of Islam.
In 2013,
asked ISPs to reduce the upload bandwidth due to piracy concerns but it was speculated that it was done to prevent uploading videos critical of the government.
In 2015, the Government blocked social media sites for 22 days following protests the verdicts of
International Crimes Tribunal. The government also monitors bloggers in the country. A leaked report showed that
blogger killed in Bangladesh overlapped with those under surveillance of the state.
In 2016, the Government of Bangladesh blocked 35 news websites without any explanation.
In May 2017, the Government of Bangladesh blocked a website of Swedish Radio after it published a report containing a confessional statement over extrajudicial murders by an officer of Rapid Action Battalion.
In 2017, the Government of Bangladesh blocked
The Wire
''The Wire'' is an American Crime film, crime drama Television show, television series created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon. The series was broadcast by the cable network HBO in the United States. ''The ...
, an Indian newspaper, following a report on Directorate General of Forces Intelligence abducting an academic.
From 1 to 2 June 2018, the Government of Bangladesh blocked the website of
The Daily Star for in-depth investigation into the drug trade.
In August 2018,
Shahidul Alam
Shahidul Alam (born 1955) is a Bangladeshi photojournalist, teacher and social activist. He has been a photographer for more than forty years and "his photographs have been published in almost every major western media outlet".
Alam founded the ...
, was arrested after he an interview critical of the Government of Bangladesh on
Al Jazeera English
Al Jazeera English (AJE; ar, الجزيرة, translit=al-jazīrah, , literally "The Peninsula", referring to the Qatar Peninsula) is an international 24-hour English-language news channel owned by the Al Jazeera Media Network, which is own ...
.
On 20 March 2019, the government blocked aljazeera.com after it published report that implicated Major General
Tarique Ahmed Siddique
Tarique Ahmed Siddique, rcds, psc is a retired major general of Bangladesh Army and the Defence and Security adviser to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina.
Personal life
Major General Tarique Ahmed Siddique is the younger broth ...
, Defense Advisor to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in the abduction of his business associates.
The Joban, a Bengali language news website, was blocked after publishing the report on Tarique Ahmed Siddique. In this cases both websites were blocked by intelligence agencies circumventing Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission and proper procedure.
In January 2020, the Government of Bangladesh blocked Netra news, a Swedish-based news website, after they published a report accusing Obaidul Quader of corruption and used pictures of him wearing expensive watches including a 34 thousand dollar Rolex.
In 2020, Shafiqul Islam Kajol became a victim of
forced disappearance
An enforced disappearance (or forced disappearance) is the secret abduction or imprisonment of a person by a state or political organization, or by a third party with the authorization, support, or acquiescence of a state or political organiza ...
in Bangladesh for 53 days. After he reappeared, he was arrested and detained under the Digital Security Act. Amnesty International has called him a prisoner of conscience. He had published an article on a prostitution ring operated by female Awami League leader. Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, editor of Manab Zamin, was also accused in the case over the prostitution report. The cases were filled by
Saifuzzaman Shikhor, a Member of Parliament and former Assistant Personal Secretary of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Journalists
In July 2018,
Mahmudur Rahman
Mahmudur Rahman ( bn, মাহমুদুর রহমান ; born 6 July 1953) is the one of the owners and acting editor of one of Bangladesh's Bengali daily newspapers, ''Amar Desh''. He is also an author, engineer and businessman.
Establ ...
, editor of
Amar Desh
''Amar Desh'' ( bn, আমার দেশ) is a defunct daily newspaper in Bangladesh, published from Dhaka in the Bengali language since 2004. ''Amar Desh'' provides news about Bangladesh from local and regional perspectives and covers interna ...
, had been attacked while coming out of a court in Kushtia. He is known to be sympathetic to the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party. He had been attacked by activists of
Bangladesh Chhatra League
The Bangladesh Chhatra League ( bn, বাংলাদেশ ছাত্রলীগ; translation: Bangladesh Students' League; BSL), formerly known as the East Pakistan Student League, often simply called the Chhatra League, is a students' p ...
, the student wing of the ruling Awami League. He was left bleeding with pictures of his injuries going viral on social media
In March 2020, executive magistrates detained and sentenced Ariful Islam, correspondent of
Dhaka Tribune
The ''Dhaka Tribune'' is a major Bangladeshi English-language daily newspaper based in Dhaka, the country's capital and largest city. It also operates an online Bengali version known as the ''Bangla Tribune''. The newspaper has a strong readershi ...
and Bangla Tribune. He had been tortured, threatened with execution, and sentenced without proper evidence by Executive Magistrate Bikash Chakma. He had been arrested after he wrote news reports against Sultana Pervin,
Kurigram District Kurigram District ( bn, কুড়িগ্রাম) is a district of Bangladesh in the Rangpur Division. The district is located in northern Bangladesh along the country's border with India. Under Indian rule, the area was organized as a mahakum ...
Deputy Commissioner. His arrested was condemned by
Editors' Council. The government suspended those who were involved with the arrest, Rintu Chakma, Nazim Uddin, and SM Rahatul Islam. Ariful had been sentenced to one year imprisonment at a trial in the middle of the night at Pervin's office. On 23 March 2020, Bangladesh High Court ordered Bangladesh Police to file attempted murder charges against Sultana Pervin and others.
Books
In 2002, the Government of Bangladesh banned Wild Wind by
Taslima Nasreen
Taslima Nasrin (born 25 August 1962) is a Bangladeshi-Swedish writer, physician, feminist, secular humanist, and activist. She is known for her writing on women's oppression and criticism of religion. Some of her books are banned in Bangladesh ...
. This was the third book of Taslima that was banned by the government of Bangladesh. She had been force to flee Bangladesh after the publication of her novel Lajja, which had been deemed blasphemous. Her second book, My Girlhood, was also banned for blasphemy.
In 2010, the Government of Bangladesh ordered the removal of all books written by Syed Abul Ala Maududi, founder of Jamaat-e-Islami party, from mosques and libraries. They government stated that his books promoted extremism.
Bangladesh banned two fictional books, ''Dia Arefin'' and ''Diya Arefiner Nanir Bani'', in 2020 for hurting religious sentiments. The books were banned following a court order by
Bangladesh High Court
The High Court Division, Supreme Court of Bangladesh ( bn, হাইকোর্ট ডিভিশন) popularly known as the 'High Court' is one of the two divisions of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, the other division being the Appellate D ...
. They had been written Diarshi Arag, a secular writer.
References
{{Asia topic, Censorship in
Censorship in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
Human rights abuses in Bangladesh