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[QUOTE="Munyaradzi Mafaro, post: 80049, member: 636"]
A major crackdown on the free press is happening in Bangladesh following a political murder. After youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi was shot in Dhaka, widespread protests erupted. Mobs then targeted major media outlets, attacking the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, as well as the cultural group Chhayanaut. Journalists were reportedly trapped inside burning buildings and are now receiving direct death threats online, with some messages calling for them to be hunted down at home. Editors describe the situation as a fight for survival.

UN experts and human rights groups are sounding the alarm, calling this coordinated violence a severe threat to free expression and democracy ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for early next year. Hadi was a spokesperson for the Platform for Revolution and a critic of Indian political influence. His killing has exposed deep national divisions. The interim government under Muhammad Yunus deployed police, declared a day of mourning, and made some arrests, but the threats against the press continue to escalate.

The country has constitutional and international obligations to protect free speech and personal security. The UN Human Rights Chief, Volker Türk, has called for a peaceful resolution without success. This turmoil occurs against a backdrop of ongoing political instability, including formal charges against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for allegedly inciting violence during earlier protests.
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