Dhaka: Information and Broadcasting Adviser Md Mahfuj Alam today expressed his optimism that the 'Journalist Protection Act' will be enacted soon, aimed at safeguarding the rights of journalists. "I received 18 draft versions of the law and recommended presenting them to the cabinet," he said while speaking as the guest of honour at an informative dialogue session titled "Dialogue on Self-Regulation and Grievance in Media: Political and Policy Perspectives" at the CIRDAP Auditorium in the city, said a press release. The Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) hosted the dialogue to discuss reforms related to the mass media.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Consulting Editor of the Daily Star and former Head of the Media Reform Commission Kamal Ahmed also attended the dialogue as the guest of honour. As part of media reform, Mahfuj Alam proposed merging BTV and Bangladesh Betar into an autonomous entity. However, he noted that complications have arisen due to staff coordination and stakeholder influence. While media house owners have benefited from increased advertising rates, the actual benefits for journalists remain questionable. "What are journalists really getting? The owners don't have an answer," he stated.
During his tenure, Mahfuj mentioned that no media house was shut down, but 72-75 journalists faced harassment, and he is working with the ministry to resolve those issues. Other guests included prominent figures from various political and media organizations, such as S. M. Shameem Reza, Dr. Moudud Hossain Alamgir Pavel, and Advocate Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair, among others. The session was moderated by Zillur Rahman, president of CGS.
Emphasizing reforms, Zillur Rahman noted that although much has been said about reform, the promises made by political parties during the 2007-08 "One-Eleven" period were never implemented. He pointed out that reform narratives often remain confined to promises, with little effort made to turn the page and act on them. Kamal Ahmed recommended gathering public opinion and publishing drafts of the "Journalist Protection Act 2025" and the "Media Commission Act" on a website, regretting the delay in implementing the Journalist Protection Ordinance.
Dr. S M. Shameem Reza highlighted the declining public trust in the media and the lack of independent and impartial research on the issue, noting the reluctance of media houses to conduct research and the shortage of monitoring at the regional level. He emphasized the need for self-regulation and policy in a democratic society. Nazmul Haque Prodhan stressed the importance of addressing attacks following social media opinions, while Advocate Subrata Chowdhury highlighted moral decay across various sectors.
Abdullah Al Kafi Ratan pointed out that most media houses are owned by corporate entities, which compromises journalists' freedom due to commercial pressures. Dr. Moudud Hossain Alamgir Pavel shared insights on the media's role, principles, and responsibilities, stating that journalism, like every profession, has its own set of ethics and risks.