Information Adviser Mahfuj Alam has said steps will soon be taken to enact a journalist protection law based on the recommendations of the Media Reform Commission.
Speaking at a seminar titled “Brave New Bangladesh: Reform Roadmap for Press Freedom” at the MIDAS Centre in Dhanmondi on Sunday, he said the draft of the proposed law will be reviewed and quickly sent to the policy-making level.
The seminar was jointly organised by the Unesco Dhaka office, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), and the Embassy of Sweden to mark World Press Freedom Day.
“If there are any loopholes, those will be addressed, and efforts are underway to place the law before the cabinet soon.”
Although the “One House, One Media” policy is part of a long-term plan, discussions on the draft of the protection law will be prioritised, he said.
Mahfuj added that he supports the merger of BTV, BSS, and Bangladesh Betar, but said further discussions are needed regarding their autonomy.
He stressed that while the media must remain accountable, journalists should not be exempt from being questioned.
“Parliamentarians can be questioned, members of the judiciary and intelligence agencies can be questioned—so why not journalists? I do not want such a double standard to persist,” he said.
Unesco’s representative and office head Sue Vize expressed condolences for journalists who lost their lives in various movements, stating that justice in these cases is taking far too long and should be expedited.
She also raised concerns over threats journalists face both online and offline, and encouraged them to develop their information literacy skills by watching TV, reading newspapers and books, and discussing issues with colleagues to foster critical thinking.
Meanwhile, Swedish Ambassador Alexandra Berg von Linde said several journalists who died in July lost their lives while fighting for their rights.
“They had nothing to protect themselves,” she noted.
She emphasised the importance of enabling journalists to work independently, and suggested that artificial intelligence (AI) be used to identify misinformation and support positive research.
Kamal Ahmed, head of the Media Reform Commission, presented the report “Brave New Bangladesh: Reform Roadmap for Press Freedom.”
He said the proposal for a national minimum wage scale for journalists poses challenges given the sector’s financial struggles.
He noted that had the Eighth Wage Board been implemented, journalists’ salaries would have been equivalent to the ninth grade of the government pay scale.
Kamal also alleged that newspaper owners are more interested in enjoying government advertisement benefits than ensuring fair wages for journalists.
He claimed self-censorship is rising among journalists, and recent incidents, such as three journalists being fired for questioning an adviser, have underscored the need for an independent media commission and protection ordinance.
He criticised the double standards of Western nations regarding media repression in India and the killing of journalists in Palestine.
“Journalists must be brave in the current environment, and united efforts for media reform are crucial,” he said.
AK Azad, president of the Newspaper Owners’ Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) and managing director of Times Media Limited, said elections will be held on schedule and a political government will take office.
However, he lamented that no newspaper has ever been able to operate freely since independence, and the current situation is deteriorating further.
He pointed out that Bangladesh has advanced 16 places in the press freedom index during the interim government period, a time that has allowed greater freedom of speech. “But when a political government returns, there is a chance we will fall back 32 positions. Who can guarantee otherwise?”
Azad posed a further question: “If journalism does not exist, then who will ensure the safety of my life, property, or society?”
AFP Bureau Chief Sheikh Sabiha Alam and BJSC Chairman Rezwanul Haque Raza also spoke at the seminar.
The event was moderated by TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman.
