Dhaka: Observing that the country's media outlets have yet to emerge as corporate entities, National Consensus Commission Vice-Chairman Professor Ali Riaz stressed the need for changing the political culture to ensure media freedom. "The media houses of Bangladesh have not emerged as corporate entities," he stated during a dialogue in Dhaka.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS), a Dhaka-based think-tank, organized the "Dialogue on Media Freedom: Exploring Grievances and Self-regulations" at the CIRDAP Auditorium. As the chief guest, Prof Ali Riaz, who is also the Head of the Constitution Reform Commission, highlighted that most media houses in the country operate to protect the business interests of their owners, rather than focusing on broader journalistic objectives.
Prof Riaz pointed out that unlike the global media landscape, where the identities of media owners remain largely anonymous, the owners of media houses in Bangladesh are widely known. He questioned how long this situation could persist without undermining press freedom. Additionally, he addressed the inadequate financial remuneration for journalists, attributing it to the lack of corporatization in media.
Critiquing the role of journalist trade unions, Prof Riaz noted that these unions have become politically divided and are failing to advocate effectively for media personnel. He emphasized the necessity of altering the political culture, as it influences the changes in editors and media owners with each regime shift.
On the subject of social media's rise, Prof Riaz acknowledged that technological advancements are inevitable but affirmed that mainstream media retains credibility among the public. Regarding self-regulation in media, he expressed his reservations about regulatory frameworks, terming it a matter of principle.
The dialogue was chaired by CGS President Zillur Rahman and featured contributions from various notable figures, including Gono Forum President Advocate Subrata Chowdhury, Manab Zamin Editor-in-Chief Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, and BSS Chief Editor Mahbub Morshed, among others.