At least 66 journalists have been murdered across the world this year while performing their duties, says a report of Reporters Without Borders.
With the latest figure, a total of 720 journalists have been killed in connection with their work in the last one decade.
This year alone saw the abduction of 119 journalists — 35 percent higher than last year’s. Forty journalists are still held hostage, said the report released by the Paris-based press freedom watchdog yesterday.
Bangladesh was ranked 146th among the 180 countries in 2014 Press Freedom Index of the organisation that promotes and defends the freedom of the press and information globally.
Murders are becoming more and more barbaric and the number of abduction is growing rapidly. Rarely have reporters been murdered with such a barbaric sense of propaganda, shocking the entire world, it says.
Syria, Palestine, Ukraine, Iraq, and Libya have been named the deadliest countries for reporters.
At least 853 professional journalists were arrested and 178 jailed this year, said the report.
Ukraine tops the list of countries where journalists were arrested this year.
Forty-seven journalists were arrested in Ukraine followed by Egypt (46), Iran and Nepal (both 45), according to the press freedom watchdog.
