Bangladesh Finalizes Draft Journalist Protection Law with Prison, Fine Penalties
Under the proposed law, offenders may face imprisonment ranging from one to five years, a minimum fine of Tk 100,000, or both, depending on the severity of the crime. According to ministry sources, the draft will be presented to the Advisory Council for approval after receiving feedback from stakeholders
Govt Finalizes Draft of Journalism Rights Protection Ordinance 2025 .The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has finalized the draft of the Journalism Rights Protection Ordinance, 2025, which classifies violence, threats, and harassment against journalists as punishable offences.
Under the proposed law, offenders may face imprisonment ranging from one to five years, a minimum fine of Tk 100,000, or both, depending on the severity of the crime. According to ministry sources, the draft will be presented to the Advisory Council for approval after receiving feedback from stakeholders.
The draft also states that no professional journalist’s residence may be entered, searched, or have property seized by force without legal authority. It further prohibits any government official or law enforcement agency from using intimidation, physical coercion, or mental pressure to compel a journalist to disclose their sources.
Reports indicate that journalists in Dhaka and across the country frequently face violence, threats, and harassment. In response, the Media Reform Commission recommended the enactment of the Journalism Rights Protection Ordinance, 2025, and included a draft in its report. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting finalized the draft based on these recommendations.
The ordinance’s preamble references constitutional guarantees under Article 32 (right to life and personal liberty), Article 39 (freedom of thought, conscience, speech, expression, and the press), and Article 40 (freedom of profession and occupation). It notes that journalists and media workers often face threats and require sufficient legal protection.
Section 3 assigns the government and relevant authorities the duty to protect journalists from violence, threats, and harassment. It prohibits any action that could harm a journalist’s personal or professional life or property and instructs the government to ensure professional independence and neutrality. The law would also bar the use of restrictive regulations to jeopardize journalists’ safety and prohibit unlawful arrest or detention.
It further states that journalists engaged in collecting, publishing, or broadcasting information in the public interest must not face violence, threats, or harassment from any individual, government body, or law enforcement agency.
Section 4(2) emphasizes that a journalist’s life, liberty, and privacy must be safeguarded. No one may unlawfully enter their home, search, or seize property by force. No action may be taken that harms a journalist’s personal life, family, freedom, reputation, dignity, or property without legal justification. It also reiterates that no one may compel a journalist to reveal sources through intimidation or coercion.
Section 5(1) requires that journalists be able to perform their professional duties in a supportive environment free from fear, coercion, or harassment. The government and relevant authorities must ensure this, taking special measures to protect journalists from violence, threats, and especially sexual harassment.
The draft also includes penalties for false allegations. Any journalist found to have knowingly filed a baseless complaint under the ordinance with the intent to harm another person could face up to one year in prison, a Tk 50,000 fine, or both.