Bangladesh’s Media Reform Commission has proposed sweeping changes to ensure press freedom, transparency, and journalist protection in the country.
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| Bangladesh’s interim government is set to implement key recommendations from the Media Reform Commission, aiming to restructure press ownership and regulation. |
Dhaka, Bangladesh — March 23, 2025:
Bangladesh’s Media Reform Commission has proposed 20 key recommendations to ensure press freedom, structural reforms, and journalist protection. The commission, led by senior journalist Kamal Ahmed, submitted its report to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, who pledged swift action on immediately implementable proposals.
The commission recommends restructuring media ownership by limiting cross-ownership and introducing shared public and journalist ownership through the stock exchange. It argues that concentrated media ownership enables manipulation and must be decentralized for greater accountability.
Among the legal reforms, the panel calls for repealing restrictive laws, including the Cyber Security Act and the Official Secrecy Act, which have been used to suppress press freedom. It also suggests forming an independent Media Commission to regulate media activities, determine editorial eligibility, and address public complaints against media reports. Convicted individuals and loan defaulters would be barred from editorial positions.
To support financial stability in the media industry, the commission recommends fixing journalists' starting salaries at the level of first-class government officers, eliminating irregularities in government ad distribution, and offering tax breaks and subsidies to newspapers. It also proposes merging Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar, and Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha into a single independent public media entity.
Professor Yunus welcomed the report and instructed the commission to outline which recommendations could be implemented immediately. He also expressed concern over Bangladesh’s television channels being restricted from international broadcasts due to satellite limitations and promised government intervention.
Commission chief Kamal Ahmed criticized past governments for issuing media licenses based on political affiliations rather than public interest. He highlighted the lack of transparency in media ownership, alleging that "black money" has played a role in Bangladesh’s media expansion.
Formed on November 18, the commission engaged with 1,400 stakeholders, including journalists and media owners, over 100 days to assess the challenges facing the press. Kamal Ahmed emphasized that the current media crisis resulted from years of malpractice, stressing the need for long-term structural change.
The interim government has committed to enacting new legislation to protect journalists and is considering making the Media Reform Commission a permanent oversight body.
Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, along with commission members, attended the briefing where the report was officially presented.