Bangladesh

Formerly East Pakistan, Bangladesh came into being only in 1971, when the two parts of Pakistan split after a bitter civil war which drew in neighbouring India.

After 15 years under military rule and then the restoration of democracy in 1990, the political scene remains volatile.

The constitution guarantees press freedom, but journalists are subject to regular harassment from the police and political activists.

"Bangladesh is a tale of two journalisms," wrote Ron Chepesiuk, Professor at Chittagong University in Bangladesh, "On one hand, the profession is flourishing. For instance, Bangladesh may be one of the world's poorest countries, but its citizens now have more than 50 satellite channels to choose from. Each week, it seems, a new newspaper or magazine hits the newsstands. […] On the other hand, Bangladesh is one of the world's most dangerous countries for a reporter. Covering the news here can be as dangerous as reporting in a war zone."

Killing of journalists, severe attacks against them and, what is perhaps worse, complete impunity is what the media have to deal with in Bangladesh.

Five journalists were killed this year in Bangladesh, and 11 have been killed since 2000, according to International Press Institute's data.

Sources: For further information, based on primary research, see the annual reports from Amnesty International (http://www.amnesty.org/), the Committee for the Protection of Journalists (http://www.cpj.org/), Reporters Without Borders (http://www.rsf.fr/) and the International Freedom of Expression eXchange (http://ifex.org/) . See also Human Rights Watch (http://www.hrw.org/). For more general information on Bangladesh, see the Foreign and Commonwealth Office country profile (www.fco.gov.uk).