Journalists continue to face abuse, with many being charged in murder cases, which is unacceptable, said Kamal Ahmed, Chairman of the Media Reform Commission, on Sunday.
He made this statement at an event titled "Brave New Bangladesh: Reform Roadmap for Press Freedom," held at the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) office in Dhanmondi to mark World Press Freedom Day.
Kamal Ahmed pointed out that many have claimed the proposal by the commission to transform the media into a public limited company is unrealistic. Critics argue that most media outlets are either not profitable or are struggling institutions. However, financial records obtained from the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies show that more than a dozen media outlets are profitable, proving that such a transformation is not only logical but feasible.
He further stated that the main issue is that many media outlets are poorly run, exceeding market demand, and are reliant on political sponsorship or support from various interest groups. Even though these outlets fail to attract audiences, they continue to survive by offering unreasonable discounts on advertising rates, which is damaging the entire sector.
Calling on media owners to be bolder, he noted that most attacks on journalists and the self-censorship within the media are influenced by threats from social media and so-called mob violence. Despite the government's commitment to tackling these issues strictly, little visible action has been taken.
He also mentioned the government's commitment to implementing media reforms.
Some critics have referred to India as an example, but Kamal Ahmed highlighted that India's position in the global press freedom index is weak. In this year's index, India lags behind Bangladesh. The term "Godi media" reflects the alignment of nearly all mainstream media outlets with the policies and ideology of the ruling Hindutva party, the BJP.
The event was jointly organized by UNESCO’s Dhaka Office, TIB, and the Swedish Embassy. In addition to Kamal Ahmed, Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Executive Director of TIB, was also present.