Media Reform Commission chief Kamal Ahmed has alleged that the long-promised Journalists Protection Law was never promulgated despite assurances from former information advisers Mahfuz Alam and Nahid Islam.
Press Institute Bangladesh (PIB) Director General Faruk Wasif said he too could not explain the “invisible forces” that kept the law from moving forward.
Both spoke at a media gathering held on Saturday, January 17, morning at the Krishibid Institute in Khamarbari. The event was jointly organised by the Newspaper Owners Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) and the Editors’ Council and hosted by Dainik Banik Barta editor and Editors’ Council general secretary Dewan Hanif Mahmud.
Faruk Wasif said the journalism sector had faced internal strains along with external pressures. He said the government had worked within its limits and that repeated meetings were held to finalise the Journalists’ Protection Law. He added that of the Media Commission’s 27 recommendations sent to the Law Ministry, 12 were returned after vetting. According to him, current adviser Rizwana Hasan is trying to push at least one or two of those issues so the next government can act on them.
“But some invisible force stopped the process. Even I don’t fully understand it,” he said.
Commission chief Kamal Ahmed said standards of journalism were being compromised in many areas and could not always be protected. He said the Journalists’ Protection Law had been recommended to strengthen protections for the profession and that there was broad support for it. Both former information advisers promised the law would be passed, but it never was.
Since the recommendation was submitted, he said, journalists and media outlets across the country have come under attack. “The government must take responsibility for this, because despite its promise, the law was not enacted. The issue has now been pushed aside,” he said. He added that the law could still be passed quickly as a draft is already prepared.
Editors’ Council President and New Age editor Nurul Kabir said diversity of opinion is vital in any society.
He condemned the attacks on Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, saying one office was vandalised and the other set on fire. He said attempts were being made to undermine the democratic spirit of July by weaponising political narratives.
Nurul Kabir added that media development and a society’s democratic progress are inseparable. “Even in moments of upheaval, there is a tendency to silence people’s voices,” he said.
Prothom Alo editor Matiur Rahman stressed the need for unity among journalists. He said disagreements are inevitable but harmful when they weaken the profession. He added that although many discussions have come late, they have begun to create momentum for change, and initiatives are now being taken.
Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam said it was time to build a more accountable society and a stronger, fairer and more ethical media landscape. He called on journalists to work together to build public trust in the profession.