Picture shows recent news conference in Dhaka
Independent journalism, while being a cornerstone of democracy, is currently facing multidimensional challenges in Bangladesh, said Kader Gani Chowdhury, pictured, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists.
He was speaking at a conference organised with support from UNESCO’s Global Media Defence Fund at Dhaka Reporters Unity.
“Since independence, despite various ups and downs, journalism in Bangladesh has undergone significant transformation,” he said adding that institutional development in the media sector, along with qualitative changes in news gathering, presentation, dissemination, use of technology and professional capacity, have been remarkable.
However, no effective structure has been developed in any organisation to ensure the safety of journalists, which means the risks of journalism remain unchanged, he noted.
Gani pointed out that political, economic, legal and technological challenges continue to hinder journalists from working independently.
“Although the Constitution guarantees freedom of expression and media, there are laws in place that are used to silence journalists. While laws exist to stifle their voices, there are no laws to protect them,” he said.
Highlighting the backdrop of forming a ‘Help Desk’ for legal protection of journalists, Mir Masruruzzaman, Executive Director of ‘Somoshti’ and Chief News Editor of Channel i, delivered the welcome address at the event.
Leaders of journalist organisations and representatives from legal aid groups took part in the discussion and termed the initiative a vital step toward ensuring safety and support for journalists. They also pledged to actively work toward making the initiative sustainable.
“Self-censorship”
Meanwhile, the international human rights organisation Article 19 has submitted key recommendations to the Bangladesh Media Reform Commission highlighting demands for legal and policy reforms.
It said in a statement that the media landscape, though diverse, faced significant challenges due to the lack of legal protections for journalists, media ownership influenced by political affiliations, and high levels of self-censorship.
Article 19 called on the Bangladesh government to act on ecommendations and foster a media environment that upholds democracy, transparency, and human rights.
6/8/25
