Govt plans independent media commission, says information minister

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon said the government is working to form an independent, efficient and acceptable media commission to ensure accountability and institutional reform in the country’s media sector on Sunday (May 17).

Speaking at a meeting with leaders of the Television Editors Council (TEC) at the Secretariat in Dhaka, the minister said media management in Bangladesh has long suffered from a lack of coordinated vision among owners, journalists, entrepreneurs and governments.

“Media should not be viewed only through a controlling lens. A transparent and accountable institutional structure involving all stakeholders must be developed,” he said.

Swapon said previous governments treated the media primarily as a tool of control, resulting in irregularities, influence and lack of transparency in the sector. In some cases, he alleged, media outlets had been used to protect illegal earnings and vested interests.

The minister stressed the need for a quasi-judicial and independent authority to safeguard both press freedom and accountability.

“There is no alternative to an independent commission to ensure responsible media freedom,” he said, while cautioning that the body must not become a political instrument of any government.

He also said media organizations failing to comply with labour laws, taxation rules, salary structures and accountability standards should not have their licences renewed. However, he added that such decisions should remain free from political bargaining.

Highlighting the impact of digital technology and artificial intelligence, the minister said journalism and communication systems worldwide are undergoing major transformation.

“Artificial intelligence is dramatically expanding human capability. Journalism and many professions are changing rapidly, and the media sector must adapt to this reality,” he said.

Swapon reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring media freedom and called for broader consensus among stakeholders for meaningful reform.