No proposal of Media Reform Commission implemented: Kamal Ahmed
Kamal Ahmed, head of the Media Reform Commission formed by the interim government, has expressed frustration and disappointment as none of the recommendations have been implemented even nine months after submission.
He said, “I cannot say that a single one of the proposals from our Media Reform Commission has been implemented so far. I am sorry for this.”
Kamal Ahmed made these remarks in a special address at the sixth broadcasting conference of the Broadcast Journalists’ Centre (BJC) at the International Mother Language Institute in Segunbagicha of Dhaka today, Saturday.
He is currently serving as consulting editor of the Daily Star.
The chief guest at the event was Syeda Rizwana Hasan, who recently took charge as information and broadcasting adviser.
At the time, Kamal Ahmed addressed the adviser, saying, “Perhaps no blame can be placed on her shoulders, but the interim government can certainly be held responsible. The truth is that the interim government has done nothing.”
Kamal Ahmed further said, “On 22 March, we submitted the Media Reform Commission’s report to the interim government, meaning to the chief adviser. At the time, the chief adviser told us, ‘Make a separate list of the urgent proposals, and we will take steps to implement them quickly.’ We prepared that list and submitted it to him within just 24 hours. I have heard that he issued instructions several times for its implementation, but nothing has been done.”
Kamal Ahmed further said, “Officials of the information ministry have been extremely preoccupied with the Media Reform Commission’s report. What they have done is send it to various officials, departments, directorates, and divisions for their opinions. They have given various responses, and their conclusion is that these proposals cannot be implemented.”
Referring to the recommendation to merge Bangladesh Television (BTV), Bangladesh Betar, and the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) into an autonomous institution, Kamal Ahmed said that the government has also failed to take that initiative.
Kamal Ahmed said that two committees were formed with the advisers—one under education adviser Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar (C R Abrar) as convener, and another under planning adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud. The result has been that nothing could be done.
Noting that “there is no time left,” Kamal Ahmed said, “This is the cause of frustration and anger. If the government had wanted, it could have implemented at least twenty of the recommendations simply by issuing a directive.”
The programme, conducted by journalist Shahnaz Sharmin, also featured speeches by Nurul Kabir, president of the Editors’ Council and editor of New Age; senior Supreme Court lawyer and human rights activist Sara Hossain; senior journalist and BJSC adviser Khairul Anwar; Fahim Ahmed, CEO of Jamuna Television and trustee of BJSC; Md Al Mamun, local representative of BBC Media Action; and journalists Talat Mamun, Ilyas Hossain, and Milton Anwar.