AM Hasan Nasim should be released, and prime minister Tarique Rahman should make clear that freedom of speech in Bangladesh will not be sacrificed to political sensitivity. Nasim was sent to jail after a Dhaka court rejected a seven-day remand request in a case tied to social media posts and alleged blackmail involving Jatiya Sangsad chief whip Nurul Islam Moni. A bail hearing was set for April 19. The report also raises a serious concern about whether the complaint complied with section 40(1) of the Cyber Security Ordinance, which appears to limit who may file such a case.
That alone should trouble anyone who cares about the rule of law. The complainant reportedly said he acted on his own, without first communicating with Moni. The National Citizen Party further argued that the First Information Report did not clearly describe what illegal benefit was demanded, even though the ordinance’s blackmail provision requires coercion for gain.
Bangladesh’s current prime minister is Tarique Rahman, who was sworn in on February 17, 2026, after his party’s election victory. He now faces an early test of democratic credibility. A government confident in its legitimacy does not jail people over contested speech, satire or criticism. It answers them with facts and with law applied carefully.
Rahman should ensure Nasim’s release through lawful process, review how the Cyber Security Ordinance is being used, and publicly affirm that speech in Bangladesh will be protected unless the state can show a clear, lawful and proportionate case.