Dhaka, March 3 -- The Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA) has called on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and his Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government to immediately release journalists detained on "spurious" charges.

In a statement issued on Monday, the organisation welcomed the elections held on Feb 12 and the new prime minister's commitment to restoring the rule of law.

However, it urged the government to free "dozens of journalists" who it said have been jailed for more than a year, including on charges such as murder, in violation of their fundamental rights.

The CJA noted that in 2025 the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus had announced the withdrawal of 16,429 cases it described as groundless as part of efforts...