Journalists, academics, and political leaders on Thursday called for greater transparency, accountability, and structural reform in Bangladesh鈥檚 media sector to restore public trust in and safeguard press freedom.
Speaking at a dialogue titled 鈥楳edia Freedom: Exploring Legal Framework for Journalism Protection and Grievances鈥� organised by non-government think tank Centre for Governance Studies at the CIRDAP auditorium in the capital Dhaka, they also demanded the immediate repeal of restrictive laws that hindered independent journalism.
Law adviser Asif Nazrul said that he felt 鈥榯rapped鈥� since joining the interim government, citing mounting pressure and smear campaigns from different quarters.
鈥楶eople often approach me with unjust requests. When I refuse to comply, they verbally abuse me and call me an agent of India,鈥� he said.
Asif criticised the culture of filing false cases, describing it as a 鈥榖usiness鈥� for some lawyers and politicians.
He stated that most cases under the Digital Security Act were withdrawn, adding that only the High Court could dismiss cases once charge sheets were filed.
Asif further said that there were 266 cases filed against journalists, but only 15 were arrested. Those who were named were charged for insider crimes.
鈥榃e have no role in the cases that were filed by ordinary citizens. However, we鈥檝e issued instructions that no one should be arrested without substantial evidence,鈥� he added.
Urging unity among journalists, he said, 鈥楾here is too much division and factionalism in the media. If journalists do not stand together, press freedom will remain beyond reach.鈥�
Badiul Alam Majumdar, chief of the Electoral Reform Commission, said that most television channels submitted politically aligned commitments in their license applications over the past 15 years to receive favour from the ruling Awami League.
鈥楾hey had expressed willingness to assist in implementing the political party鈥檚 vision. Based on these applications, licenses have been granted over the years,鈥� he mentioned.
Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to the chief adviser, said that the current interim government was not obstructing journalism and contrasted this practice to the previous administration, which he said used that as tools to control the media.
Noting that a deep trust deficit was created in the mass media during the Awami League regimes, he mentioned that the media has not apologised for its role during past regimes.
Photojournalist Shahidul Alam raised concerns about media credibility and the inaccessibility of information to certain law enforcing agencies.
Journalist leader MA Aziz said that democracy is the foundation of a free media and warned that external interference and ownership pressures had placed journalists at increasing risks.
Nationalist Democratic Movement chair Bobby Hajjaj advocated for separating the media ownership from the editorial management and suggested nonprofit models to ensure media independence.
AB party chair Mojibur Rahman Monju said that media institutions often prioritised marketing and revenue generation over journalistic quality, which stifled creativity and editorial independence.
Communist Party of Bangladesh general secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince said that journalism had become self-censored more than ever.
鈥楿nless we can push back the tide of criminalised politics, no matter how well we speak or what good intentions we have, we won鈥檛 be able to attain real progress,鈥� he said.
G-9 general secretary Shakhawat Hossain Sayantha and Prothom Alo鈥檚 joint editor Sohrab Hassan both noted that internal divisions among journalists had weakened the profession.
Shorab Hassan emphasised the need for an institution to protect journalists 鈥� not just media owners.
Academic Parvez Karim Abbasi criticised outdated laws that were still in practice and called for a change in the collective mindset of the media and politicians.
