Staff Correspondent
The Sri Lankan Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) stands in strong solidarity with the Nepal Press Union (NPU) in expressing grave concern over the ongoing detention and legal harassment of Bangladeshi media personnel.

The SLWJA strongly condemns the order issued by Bangladesh’s Special Tribunal to detain Ekattor Television Editor-in-Chief Mozammel Babu, Chief Correspondent Farzana Rupa, and Daily Bhorer Kagoj Editor Shyamal Dutta in connection with a "crimes against humanity" case related to the 2024 student movement.

SLWJA president Ranga Bandaranayake and general secretary Mithun Jayawardhana issued a statement on Wednesday demanding immediate release of those Bangladeshi journalists. NPU president Shiva Lamsal President also made the same statement on the same day.

In the statements, they said, targeting and detaining media professionals under extreme charges merely for asking questions during a public press conference sets a dangerous precedent across South Asia. Weaponizing legal machinery to retaliate against journalists for performing their professional duties directly violates fundamental rights to freedom of expression and the press. Freedom of speech and expression are fundamental human rights that serve as the foundation of a healthy democracy; targeting media workers directly undermines these core values.

Joining the NPU and regional press freedom advocates, the SLWJA urges the Government of Bangladesh and relevant judicial authorities to: Guarantee the physical safety, fundamental human rights, and legal protection of the detained journalists, Immediately end retaliatory proceedings and ensure any investigation remains impartial and transparent, and drop the arbitrary charges linked to their professional work and release these individuals without delay.

The SLWJA remains firm in supporting our Bangladeshi colleagues and calls on the international community to safeguard press freedom in the region.