06 Mar 2004 20:58 UTC
The report by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists came Saturday at the end of a week-long fact-finding visit to the South Asian nation.
A statement from the group urges the government to vigorously investigate violence against journalists and to prosecute those responsible for such attacks.
A report issued last month by another watchdog group, "Reporters Without Borders," noted that at least seven Bangladeshi journalists have been killed since 1997, adding 26 others were attacked or threatened in January alone.
The Bangladesh Information Ministry described the report as one-sided and that it did not reflect the true situation. A statement issued earlier in the week said Bangladesh is committed to press freedom, and it promised punishment for those who persecute journalists.
Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.
E-mail This Article To A Friend
A media watchdog group has designated Bangladesh as the most violent country in Asia for journalists.
Serious & personalized business, investment and technology intelligence for a serious advantage - BizVantage!
Try the free, no-hassle 6 month trial!
Addressing a news conference in Dhaka, the group's executive director, Ann Cooper, said physical assaults and intimidation have become commonplace in Bangladesh, particularly in rural areas. She said Bangladeshi journalists are often threatened, beaten and even murdered for reporting the news.
