On June 16, 2026, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar issued a statement marking the country’s ‘Press Black Day’. He said that if Jamaat were given the opportunity to form a government, it would work tirelessly to uphold freedom of speech, enhance the quality of newspapers, and protect the interests of journalists.

Porwar recalled that on February 24, 1975, the then government established a one-party system through BAKSAL, leading to the closure of all newspapers except four under state control on June 16 that year. He described this as a dark day in Bangladesh’s history, when thousands of journalists lost their jobs. He also criticized the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina for continuing media repression since 2009, including the closure of several media outlets and the enactment of restrictive laws.

He welcomed the interim government’s recent decision to repeal controversial sections of the Cyber Security Act 2023 and to allow the reopening of previously closed media houses, calling it a positive step for press freedom.