Netizen freedom in Bangladesh continues to improve: Freedom House

Bangladesh Posts Strongest Internet Freedom Gain in Freedom House Review

Bdbusinessdaily.com – Bangladesh registered the largest improvement in internet freedom among 38 countries examined in Freedom House’s Freedom on the Net 2026 study, gaining five points to reach 50 out of 100. The rise reflects a year without an internet shutdown for the first time since 2016, following years in which restrictions on connectivity, censorship and surveillance shaped the country’s digital environment.

Despite the improvement, Bangladesh remains classified as “Partly Free,” a designation it has held since 2013. The annual assessment covers the period from 1 June 2025 through 31 May 2026 and evaluates online conditions through 21 indicators.

The country’s score increased from 45 to 50, placing it within the 40–69 range that Freedom House defines as Partly Free. Scores between 70 and 100 are labelled Free, while countries below 40 are categorised as Not Free.

No Shutdowns Mark a Major Change

The absence of nationwide internet shutdowns was a central reason for Bangladesh’s stronger showing. Its score for Obstacles to Access rose to 16 out of 25, compared with 12 the previous year. This category examines issues such as connection availability, affordability, infrastructure and government interference with access.

Freedom House described Bangladesh as recording the most significant progress for a second consecutive year after the removal of Sheikh Hasina, whose decade in office was associated with broad digital monitoring and restrictions on online expression.

“Bangladesh notched the largest improvement for the second year in a row as the country carried out reforms in the aftermath of the removal of Sheikh Hasina, whose decade-long rule was marked by expansive censorship and surveillance,” Freedom House said.

The report highlighted a proposed legal safeguard against network shutdowns. The Bangladesh Telecommunication (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 introduced a prohibition on suspending telecommunications networks. However, Freedom House noted that the final legal text had not been made public and that the legislative process moved quickly without sufficient transparency.

For ordinary users, the absence of shutdowns carries practical significance beyond internet access itself. Digital connectivity is used for communication, education, journalism, business transactions and access to public information. Interruptions can isolate communities and make it harder for citizens to share or verify information during moments of political tension or public unrest.

Content Conditions Improve Slightly, Rights Concerns Persist

Bangladesh’s Limits on Content score increased by one point, rising from 20 to 21 out of 35. The category considers online censorship, self-censorship, manipulation of information and the ability of users to discuss political and social issues online.

The country’s weakest area remained Violations of User Rights, which stayed at 13 out of 40. This measure covers legal protections for online speech, prosecutions tied to digital activity, surveillance, intimidation and other consequences faced by internet users.

The report warned that political pressure on journalists and online media workers remained a serious concern. By May 2026, more than 280 journalists, including some employed by digital outlets, were facing politicised charges. Most of the cases were linked to reporting on the 2024 uprising that was viewed as overly sympathetic to the Awami League.

The interim government also barred the Awami League from participating in the February 2026 general election. Freedom House said efforts to limit support for the party sometimes relied on methods resembling those used under the previous administration, illustrating the difficulty of replacing long-standing repressive practices while building a durable democratic transition.

“Improvements in Bangladesh showcase the gains brought by a mass mobilisation reversing long-standing practices of digital repression, though significant challenges to a sustainable democratic transition remain for the country’s new government,” the report said.

Online Rumours and Real-World Violence

The study also drew attention to the consequences of inflammatory online activity. In December 2025, the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star were attacked after rumours circulated online accusing the newspapers of holding pro-India views. The incidents underscored how false or provocative material shared digitally can contribute to threats and violence against media organisations.

Improved access does not automatically guarantee a safer online environment. A stronger internet freedom score can reflect fewer shutdowns and reduced restrictions, while journalists, activists and users may still face legal risks, harassment or coordinated campaigns of intimidation. Bangladesh’s unchanged user-rights score points to this continuing gap between improved connectivity and secure freedom of expression.

Bangladesh also received a Partly Free rating in Freedom House’s Freedom in the World index earlier in 2026. Across the past five decades, the country has been rated Free only twice and Not Free once, while remaining Partly Free in every other year.

Global Trend Remains Negative

Bangladesh’s gains stand out against a broader international decline. Internet freedom worsened globally for the 16th straight year, with conditions deteriorating in 16 of the 38 countries reviewed. Eight countries recorded improvements.

Iran experienced the steepest fall in this edition, while China and Myanmar continued to rank among the world’s most restrictive online environments. Estonia was identified as the freest country for internet users.

Freedom House chief executive Jamie Fly said authoritarian actors were increasingly using artificial intelligence as a tool of repression and argued that activists need access to advanced technologies to respond to emerging threats. Kian Vesteinsson, the report’s author and the organisation’s deputy director for research, stressed that democratic countries must take a leading role in defending an open internet.

This edition paused coverage of 34 countries. The 38 countries included in the assessment were selected to represent different regions, political systems and forms of state control over digital space.

For Bangladesh, the five-point increase signals meaningful movement away from routine connectivity restrictions. Yet the Partly Free designation shows that the next test will be whether reforms are translated into transparent law, stronger protections for journalists and users, and a digital environment in which political disagreement can be expressed without fear.