Bangladesh: Police Shoot and Injure Nadia Sharmeen During Deadly Protests
One journalist killed and at least 30 injured during unrest
Location: Bangladesh, Dhaka
Date: July 18, 2024
Women Press Freedom vehemently condemns the egregious attack on Nadia Sharmeen, a reporter for Ekattor TV, who was wounded by police gunfire in Jatrabari on July 18, 2024. In a grave escalation of violence, recent protests in Bangladesh have led to the death of a journalist and injured about thirty others, including Sharmeen.The protests, driven by students' demands to end a discriminatory quota system in public sector jobs that favors war veterans' relatives over merit-based recruitment, have intensified amid a near-total communications blackout. The government's shutdown of the internet and mobile services has severely restricted journalists' ability to report on the crisis, allowing misinformation to spread unchecked and leaving the public in the dark. Such actions are an affront to the principles of transparency and accountability. Women Press Freedom condemns the brutal violence against journalists covering these protests and urgently calls for the restoration of internet and mobile services to ensure their safety and the free flow of information.
On 18 July 2024, Nadia Sharmeen, a reporter for Ekattor TV, was wounded by police gunfire in Jatrabari on the outskirts of Dhaka. The same day, Hasan Mehedi, a journalist for Dhaka Times, was killed while reporting on the intense student protests in the capital.
Meanwhile, several thousand protesters stormed the state broadcaster BTV, vandalizing furniture, smashing windows and lights, and setting parts of the building on fire. Bangladesh's information minister told the BBC that broadcasts had been stopped and most employees had left the building in the capital.
Vaskar Bhadury of Jamuna TV was attacked on July 17 during student protests at Dhaka University. Abdullah Al Mamun from Prothom Alo sustained head, neck, and hand injuries at Jahangirnagar University. On July 16, numerous TV reporters and photojournalists were injured in clashes at Dhaka University, including Sumanta Chakrabarty of Dainik Janakantha, who broke his leg. Other injured journalists included correspondents from Bonik Barta, Bangladesh Today, Dainik Bangla, Dainik Janakantha, Ekushey TV, Dainik Jugantor, and Bangla Tribune.
Since July 15, violent repression of the protests has led to at least 100 deaths and thousands of injuries. The protests, which erupted following a controversial High Court decision to reinstate job quotas for the relatives of war veterans, triggered violent clashes between students, police, and government supporters. In response to the unrest, the government imposed a near-total communication blackout by shutting down the internet and disrupting mobile services, exacerbating the crisis.
In a victory for the students, on July 21, 2024, Bangladesh's Supreme Court eliminated most quotas on government jobs. Several protest movement coordinators told the BBC that their actions will continue until the government takes concrete steps to end the quotas and addresses their further demands. The students' demands include justice for protesters killed in recent days, the release of detained protest leaders, the restoration of internet services, and the resignations of government ministers.
Women Press Freedom denounces the attacks against journalists, including Nadia Sharmeen, and urges the international community and press freedom organizations to join in condemning these attacks and to press for immediate action to protect journalists in Bangladesh.
Compounding this crisis is the near-total communications blackout imposed by the government, which disrupts the flow of information and hinders journalists' ability to report on the ground. Bangladesh authorities must reinstate access to the internet and mobile services immediately.
Women Press Freedom stands in solidarity with the journalists in Bangladesh facing unprecedented threats. We will continue to monitor the situation and advocate for the safety and freedom of the press. The impunity for violence against the media must end to ensure a free and safe environment for journalists.
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