Violence targeting journalists surged across Bangladesh in August, according to the Human Rights Support Society, which documented 39 incidents affecting at least 72 reporters nationwide.
Md. Asaduzzaman Tuhin, a reporter for Protidiner Kagoj, was killed on Aug. 7 after being hacked to death in Gazipur. On Aug. 22, the body of Bibhu Ranjan Sarker, a senior reporter for Ajker Patrika, was recovered from the Meghna River, the group said in a statement Tuesday.
The organization reported that 33 journalists were injured, five assaulted and 11 threatened. Nineteen were dismissed from their jobs, while two others were charged in legal cases.
The findings underscore what rights advocates describe as a deteriorating environment for press freedom in the country, with growing concerns about violence and a lack of accountability for attacks on journalists.