Leaders of the Editors’ Council held a meeting with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, where they submitted a list of 282 journalists allegedly accused in false cases. The article criticizes the council for not presenting such a list to previous governments despite widespread repression of journalists between 2009 and 2024. It names several journalists who were reportedly victims of harassment, imprisonment, or disappearance during that period.

Information Minister Zahid Uddin Swapon responded that many of those listed were political figures posing as journalists and accused the council of supporting individuals involved in incitement and violence. Former press secretary Maruf Kamal Khan also condemned the council, accusing it of hypocrisy for remaining silent during earlier crackdowns on journalists.

The article further alleges that the Editors’ Council, formed around 2013, historically acted to protect the government rather than press freedom. It describes the council’s media network as politically biased and claims that its members previously engaged in propaganda against opposition leaders, including Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman.