The initiative to establish an independent media commission in Bangladesh has officially entered an active, consultative, policy-making phase.
In a notable departure from structural false starts by previous administrations -- including the short-sighted, late-stage attempts by the former transitional government to split regulation into separate print and broadcast bodies -- the current administration is choosing a more democratic path.
By prioritizing a consultative committee to evaluate stakeholder recommendations before building the final statutory framework, the government has signaled its intent to walk the talk.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon has repeatedly declared a desire to discard the traditional "control mindset."
If the government genuinely intends to shift from an instrument of state leverage to a guardian of public accountability, it must stay faithful to the core institutional reforms championed by the country's Media Reform Commission.
Translating these promises into an enduring, democratic ecosystem requires moving beyond political rhetoric toward a concrete roadmap.
The first foundational requirement is structural unity. To create a modern media ecosystem, Bangladesh must abandon fragmented, archaic oversight.
The forthcoming consultative report should heavily push to abolish the ineffective Bangladesh Press Council and merge all print, broadcast, digital, and news agency regulations into a single, comprehensive body.
Dividing media into separate administrative silos fails to account for modern internet-driven convergence, where a single newsroom simultaneously produces text, video, and digital content. Global regulatory architectures provide clear, effective proof of this approach.
The United Kingdom's unified regulator, Ofcom, manages television, radio, telecommunications, and digital spaces under a single statutory umbrella while newspapers and magazines are mostly regulated by independent bodies set up and funded by the publishing industry, not the government.
Bangladesh needs a unified commission to build an even, predictable playing field for all media types. To prevent the new commission from degenerating into another passive bureaucratic extension, it must be granted explicit quasi-judicial authority and operate outside the administrative control of any ministry.
This institutional independence requires a radical restructuring of the media market's political economy.
Historically, state advertising revenues and media licenses have been weaponized as political tools. This practice has created an overcrowded media market choked with politically connected outlets, while financially starving public-interest, high-quality journalism.
The commission must take direct control of tracking print circulation and managing television rating points (TRP) through tamper-proof digital auditing tools.
Removing these duties from state departments will eliminate institutional corruption and fraudulent data, ensuring taxpayer-funded state advertisements are distributed transparently based on verified metrics rather than political loyalty.
A healthy information ecosystem is impossible to maintain if journalists face constant physical, financial, and legal peril. The proposed independent legal framework must actively protect media workers from strategic, bad-faith lawsuits, intimidation, and arbitrary detention.
Professional security requires structural financial protections. Unlike garments and other major domestic labour sectors, the media industry lacks robust, legally enforced guarantees regarding wages and corporate accountability.
The commission must be legally empowered to enforce compliance with labour laws, unified salary scales, timely payments, and clear pension protections across all media organizations.
Elevating the baseline economic security of journalists is a prerequisite for professional ethics, effectively insulating local newsrooms from external financial corruption and editorial manipulation.
Even the most perfectly drafted legal framework will fail without the right people executing it. The ultimate credibility of both the upcoming consultative committee and the eventual independent media commission rests entirely on the integrity of their personnel.
The state must resist the entrenched political temptation to handpick loyalists, retired bureaucrats, or partisan insiders from familiar circles. A credible commission demands an open, criteria-driven, and highly transparent selection process.
Leaders must be chosen strictly for their professional expertise, proven legal and journalistic independence, and unwavering commitment to public accountability.
If the selection process lacks transparency, the new institution will lose public trust before it even issues its first decision.
The government stands at a historic crossroads. It can choose to repeat the mistakes of past regimes by using regulatory bodies as political tools, or it can build a truly independent institution capable of holding power accountable.
Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon’s public commitments have created a rare moment of optimism across the country's media landscape. However, consultations must swiftly yield concrete, statutory results.
The administration must use the upcoming committee report to build an independent media commission that is financially self-sustaining, operationally insulated from state control, and legally protected.
Reaz Ahmad is Editor, Dhaka Tribune.
