Press freedom in a post-authoritarian context: evolving challenges for Bangladeshi journalists after Sheikh Hasina

Authoritarian constraints on press freedom manifest across diverse political contexts, from typical illiberal democracies to flawed democracies. While substantial scholarship examines journalistic challenges under authoritarian rule, the dynamics of press freedom in recent post-authoritarian transitions remain underexplored. Drawing on in-depth interviews with journalists from Bangladesh, this article investigates how press freedom evolves in these settings. Findings show that an authoritarian regime change does not guarantee press freedom or journalist safety. The study makes three theoretical contributions. First, ownership structures and political pressures from authoritarian periods persist after regime transitions. Second, control over the press may shift from predictable, top-down tools (laws and state agencies) to more scattered, bottom-up forces, such as street intimidation and social media harassment. Finally, the press-power relationship is often renegotiated rather than automatically liberalized following authoritarian collapse.