South Asia media groups express solidarity with journalists, condemn attacks on Bangladesh and Nepal media, demand accountability

December 22 – The Southasia Peace Action Network (Sapan), the South Asia Media Defenders Network (SAMDEN), Sapan News, Rural Media Network Pakistan, and others strongly condemn the  attacks, vandalism and arson in Dhaka, Bangladesh, that targeted the offices of the Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, and the physical assault on the President of the Editors Council and veteran journalist and Editor of New Age Nurul Kabir.

We appreciate the statements from the Press Club of India and the Karachi Press Club expressing deep concern and strong condemnation of the violence.

It is disturbing to hear that more than 100 journalists in Bangladesh have been detained and remain behind bars without trial. We demand their immediate and unconditional release.

Just three months ago, media houses in Nepal came under similar fire, including mob attacks on the Kantipur Group buildings, the Annapurna Post, and Image TV. Journalists from various media groups were attacked physically and virtually. Even earlier, a young photojournalist, Suresh Rajak of Avenews TV, died in an arson attack on March 28, 2025, while reporting from a building in Tinkune, Kathmandu.The perpetrators remain unidentified and unaccountable.

Violence, intimidation, attacks orharassment aimed at silencing the media are unacceptable and violate the right to media freedom, the constitutional right to freedom of expression, and rule of law. 

We call upon the governments concerned to ensure that perpetrators are identified and brought to justice through a fair, impartial and speedy investigation into the incidents of arson, violence and intimidation.

The statement has been endorsed by media professionals and concerned citizens around the region

To endorse the statement, kindly fill in the form at this link

Signatories include:

• Beena Sarwar, founder editor Sapan News, co-founder, curator Southasia Peace Action Network, Boston 
• Kanak Mani Dixit, founder and former editor Himal Southasian, Kathmandu 
• Sanjoy Hazarika, independent columnist and author
• Dilrukshi Handunneti, investigative journalist and lawyer, Sri Lanka
• Nirupama Subramanian, journalist, former editor, Chennai
• Farman Ali,  Chief Editor, The High Asia Herald and former News Editor, Dawn Islamabad
• Husain Naqi, senior journalist, former Editor, Lahore
• Antara Dev Sen, founder editor, The Little Magazine, New Delhi
• Bala Chauhan, senior editor, The New Indian Express
• Tahira Abdullah, democracy and rights activist, Islamabad
• Anuradha Bhasin, managing Editor, Kashmir times 
• Amit Sengupta, Editor, independentink.in, New Delhi
• Asmatullah Niazi, broadcast journalist, and writer Voicepk and TFT Pakistan
• Bachi Karkaria, columnist, Mumbai
• Vineeta Pandey,  Senior Editor, The Asian Age-Deccan Chronicle, New Delhi
• Neeta Kolhatkar, journalist, Mumbai
• Monideepa Banerjie, journalist, Kolkata
• Deepal Trivedi, independent journalist, co-founder: vibesofindia.com, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
• Maya Sharma, independent journalist, Bengaluru, India
• Stella Paul, journalist, Hyderabad, India
• Pamela Philipose, journalist, New Delhi
• Wajahat Masood, broadcast journalist, Lahore
• Niaz Murtaza, journalist, Islamabad
• Nilova Roy Chaudhury, independent journalist, New Delhi
• Radhika Ramaseshan, political journalist and columnist, New Delhi
• Namrata Sharma, journalist and rights activist, Nepal
• Jyoti Malhotra, Editor-in-Chief, The Tribune, Chandigarh, India
• Smita Gupta, independent journalist, New Delhi
• Nivedita Jha, independent journalist, Bihar
• Qurratul-Ain-Tahmina, journalist, Dhaka
• Shirsendu Chakraborty, Sangbad Pratidin, Kolkata, West Bengal
• Saurabh Duggal, independent journalist, Chandigarh, India
• Anamitra Chatterjee, Ei Samay, Kolkata
• Vivek Mukherji, Independent Journalist & Consulting Executive Editor Gfiles, New Delhi.
• Jatin Gandhi, journalist and author, New Delhi
• Angur Nahar Monty, journalist, Bangladesh
• Dr. A. H. Nayyar, physicist and peace activist, Islamabad
• Salima Hashmi, artist and educator, Karachi
• Patricia Mukhim, Editor, The Shillong Times, India
• Rajdeep Sardesai, senior journalist, India
• Siddharth Varadarajan, founding editor, The Wire, India
• Aasha Mehreen Amin, Joint Editor, The Daily Star, Bangladesh
• Rita Bhowmick, senior reporter, presenza, Bangladesh
• Rukaia Islam, Alap.news Dhaka
• Patricia Mukhim, Editor, The Shillong Times, India
• Armanur Rahman, journalist, Guwahati
• Satish Misra, senior journalist Noida
• Gautam Lahiri, independent journalist India
• Imtiaz Alam, South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA) Pakistan
• Santwana Bhattacharya, editor, Delhi, India
• Rajdeep Sardesai, senior journalist, New Delhi
• Dr. Murtaza Khuhro, Advocate High Court, Pakistan
• Ravi V. Chhabra, Managing Editor/ fnbworld.com, New Delhi/India
• Christianez Ratna Kiruba, Lead Editor and Health Journalist, Nivarana. India
• John Dayal, former editor, author, New Delhi, India
• AJ Philip, columnist and writer, India
• Mumitul Mimma, Sr. Sub-Editor, The Daily Noya Shatabdi, Bangladesh
• Geoffrey Yaden, editor-in- chief India
• Amjad Hussain, CE DHEWA Org, Pakistan
• Ayanangsha Maitra, PhD candidate, independent journalist. New Delhi
• Fauzia Deeba, Southasia Peace Action Network, USA
• Regina Johnson, Sapan News. USA

To endorse the statement, kindly fill in the form at this link

Southasia Peace Action Network proudly supports Sapan News year-end fundraiser 2025. Every donation to SapanNews until Dec 31, 2025 will be matched or tripled. Your $50 = $150 for peace journalism.

Thank You