The ICC said in January it was probing potential crimes against journalists since the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza, which has cost the lives of more than 100 reporters.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud today came down heavily on Amnesty International, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) and Reporters without Borders (RSF) for what he called their “biased take on human rights, press freedom and corruption in Bangladesh”.

Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud has termed the World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) –according to which Bangladeshi journalists are “exposed to police violence, attacks by political activists and murders orchestrated by Jihadist or criminal organizations” – “malicious”.

Bangladesh slid four notches and is now 150th in the World Press Freedom Index revealed by the Reporters Without Borders yesterday.

Reporters Sans Frontières criticise the Information and Communication Technology Act in Bangladesh saying that media self-censorship is growing as a result of the endemic violence against journalists and media outlets in the country.

Bangladesh has moved two notches up to 144th position among 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index-2016 prepared by Reporters Sans Frontières. But the Paris-based advocacy group voices serious concern over the state of freedom of expression in Bangladesh.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to stop what it said was “hounding” of The Daily Star Editor

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to stop what it said “hounding” The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam over his comment that, like many other newspapers and TV stations, he published information in 2007 that seemed to implicate Hasina in corruption, which could not be verified independently.

A total of 110 journalists are killed around the world in 2015, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said on Tuesday, warning that more were being deliberately targeted for their work in supposedly peaceful countries.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) temporarily labels the street name in front of Bangladesh Embassy in Paris after slain Bangladeshi-American secular activist and blogger Avijit Roy marking the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists.