Bangladesh court orders three journalists to stay jailed pending trial

A special tribunal in Dhaka ordered that three journalists—Mozammel Babu, editor-in-chief of Ekattor Television; Farzana Rupa, its principal correspondent; and Shyamal Dutta, editor of Bhorer Kagoj and former national press club secretary—remain imprisoned until their trial on a 2024 uprising case. Authorities were asked to keep them detained while prosecutors allege the trio encouraged the crackdown on student protesters that led to hundreds of deaths after a press conference on July 14, 2024.

The uprising had removed former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was later sentenced to death in absentia and now resides in India. International press-freedom advocates have criticized the bail denial, calling the charges against the journalists outrageous. The judge scheduled the next court date for Oct. 25 and requested investigative findings. Families of the journalists claim the prolonged detention is unlawful.