Dhaka: BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today said they always favour press freedom and continue their fight for its establishment. “BNP, whether it is in power or not, believes in press freedom. It will never support suppressing another’s opinion. It will strongly support the freedom of expression,” he told a discussion marking the World Press Freedom Day 2025 at Jatiya Press Club here.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Editors’ Council organized the discussion which was moderated by its president The Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam and its general secretary and Dainik Bonik Barta editor Dewan Hanif Mahmud. Fakhrul expressed concern over the current state of press freedom, highlighting the challenges posed by social media. “Personally, I am a little scared to speak in front of the press now. It seems like how the press will take my words and how they will print them or how the social media will present them. This is for us, who are in politics. This is a real concern for us. There is no way not to be worried about the trend of character assassination that has emerged recently, especially on social media,” said the BNP secretary general.
Fakhrul noted an improvement in press freedom in Bangladesh, as indicated by the country’s advancement of 16 notches in international rankings. However, he pointed out issues with media groups and political groups targeting each other, questioning the impact of such actions on democracy. “The problem arises only when we see some media group attacking another group. Some political groups also join it and give various political programs. I do not understand how much this helps strengthen democracy in a democratic and free society,” he said.
The discussion saw participation from National Citizens’ Committee convener Md Nahid Islam, Nagorik Oikya president Mahmudur Rahman Manna, and Gana Sanghati Andolan chief coordinator Junayed Saki. Other speakers included editor-in-chief of Manabzamin Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, The New Age editor Nurul Kabir, and Jatiya Press Club president and Kaler Kantho editor Hasan Hafiz. Notable attendees included Prothom Alo editor Matiur Rahman, Samakal editor Shahed Muhammad Ali, and daily Inqilab editor AMM Bahauddin.