PRESS RELEASE/3 MAY 2026

DHAKA

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BJIM expresses concern over travel restriction on journalist Nazrul Islam Mithu

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Bangladeshi Journalists in International Media (BJIM) expresses concern over reports that journalist Nazrul Islam Mithu was prevented from travelling abroad by immigration police and intelligence officials at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Sunday, the same day the world marked World Press Freedom Day.

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Mithu is the president of the Overseas Correspondents Association Bangladesh (OCAB) and represents Germany’s DPA news agency in Bangladesh.

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According to media reports and Mithu’s own account, he had collected his boarding pass for a scheduled trip to China when immigration police called him aside, questioned him about his profession and his OCAB role, and later told he would not be allowed to travel because of a lack of “agency clearance.” In a Facebook post recounting the incident, Mithu said officials did not cite any criminal case against him and referred only to instructions from “higher authority.”

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BJIM separately contacted a senior airport immigration official about the incident. While the official did not provide details, they confirmed that Mithu had been denied permission to leave the country, citing “previous instructions from one of the intelligence agencies.”

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BJIM urges the authorities to clarify the legal basis, if any, for barring Mithu from leaving the country, and to ensure that no journalist is subjected to arbitrary restrictions, intimidation, or opaque security measures because of their professional identity or leadership in media organisations.

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The right to leave one’s own country, due process, and the ability of journalists to work and move without fear are essential safeguards in any society that claims to respect press freedom. 

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BJIM calls on the government and relevant airport, immigration, and intelligence authorities to provide an immediate explanation, remove any unlawful restriction against Mithu, and ensure that such incidents are not repeated against journalists or media workers.

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