Government focuses on practical, not theoretical, reforms: Information Minister

The current government is emphasising a practical rather than theoretical approach to reforms across all sectors, including mass media, said Information Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan on Thursday. 

 

He stated that according to its election manifesto, the BNP government will introduce necessary reforms to Bangladesh's media and telecom policies. 

 

The minister said a committee has begun research and reporting on state-controlled media outlets.

 

Reforms will be made based on the findings of that evaluation, he said. 

 

The Information Minister made these remarks at a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony held at the Economic Reporters' Forum (ERF) on Thursday. 

 

The event was presided over by ERF President Doulat Akter Mala. 

 

An MoU was signed between the Citizen's Platform for SDG Implementation and the ERF. 

 

Through this agreement, the platform will monitor all government reform activities in collaboration with journalists. Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya, Convener of the Citizen's Platform and Distinguished Fellow at CPD, was present at the signing ceremony.

 

The Information Minister said that telecom and media policies are currently under review. "Once finalised, we will proceed with implementation based on the findings," he said. 

 

He also mentioned that Bangladesh's media and broadcasting system will be restructured following the model of the British broadcasting system. 

 

Furthermore, work is ongoing to determine who is and is not complying with the Journalist Wage Board.

 

The Information Minister also noted that plans are underway to quickly formulate an advertising policy involving all stakeholders in the media.

 

He stated, "We must stop false information and collective deception regarding circulation. We need to work together to prevent anarchy in cyberspace."

 

Referring to two types of journalism, New Age Editor Nurul Kabir highlighted the concepts of "engaged journalism" and "detached journalism." He argued, "We must choose engaged journalism—where journalists write against all irregularities, injustices, and corruption."

 

In response to a question, he said that journalists need to be activists during national crises, but he advised caution to ensure this activism does not become partisan.

 

Shamsul Haque Zahid, Editor of The Financial Express, expressed frustration that the Media Reform Commission report from the interim government period has not been implemented.

 

"I am disappointed because I was a part of it. We submitted the commission report in March 2025. The then head of government, Dr. Yunus, asked us to separately list the urgent, implementable items. However, even those were not enacted," he said.

 

He said that the condition of newspapers is currently very poor, with advertisement rates falling significantly. 

 

He pointed out that, despite having lower circulation in reality, English newspapers are unfairly compared to Bangla newspapers regarding ad rates, which is not acceptable.

 

"If the government implements the reforms based on the commission's report, our media will be modernised," the Editor of The Financial Express said. 

 

At the event, ERF General Secretary Abul Kashem voiced anger over the Journalist Wage Board issue. 

 

He said that while there is talk of implementing pensions for journalists, there is no discussion about a minimum pay structure. 

 

He noted that the 8th Wage Board was awarded in 2013 and has not been updated since, even though government employees' salaries have doubled in the meantime. 

 

Mr Kashem mentioned that the government announced a 9th Wage Board in 2018, but it was only implemented at the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) and nowhere else.

 

He questioned, "If there is no proper salary structure, how will journalists survive long enough to reach the age to collect a pension?"