NOAB president urges political parties to include pledge of press freedom in manifestos

The president of the Newspaper Owners’ Association of Bangladesh (NOAB), AK Azad, has urged all political parties to commit themselves to protecting press freedom.

He said that political parties should include in their election manifestos a pledge to form a Media Commission and to ensure freedom of the press before the upcoming national election.

He made the remarks at a roundtable discussion titled “Reform in Bangladesh’s Media: Recommendations, Realities, and the Future”, held on Wednesday morning at the Prothom Alo office in Karwan Bazar, Dhaka.

The discussion was moderated by Sajjad Sharif, Executive Editor of Prothom Alo.

Calling upon political parties, AK Azad said, “Your election manifestos should include a clause stating that the government will review media reports—acknowledge and correct what is true, and clarify what is wrong. This will not only enhance the government’s credibility but also make the media more responsible.”

He further explained, “When you come to power, your first priority will naturally be to fix the economy, then law and order. In doing so, freedom of the press will end up becoming a lower priority. At that time, when mistakes or corruption occur, you will no longer have the same spirit to uphold media freedom.”

Referring to the Media Reform Commission report, AK Azad said, “If you take Kamal Bhai’s report (media reform commission’s head) and carry it forward—if you compel your political party to adopt its key points—then we can avoid repeating the mistakes of previous governments. Only then will the press truly be free.”

The NOAB president expressed concern that talented students no longer want to pursue careers in journalism. Even as the job market becomes more competitive, journalists’ financial and social security remain weak. If a journalist falls ill, they cannot afford quality hospital care. If a family member is sick, paying the medical bills becomes a struggle.

Highlighting the financial crisis in the newspaper industry, Azad said printing a single copy of newspaper costs Tk 25–28, but it has be sold for Tk 10–12. About 35 per cent of that goes to hawkers as commission. Without advertising revenue, newspapers cannot survive. When government ads are halted or payments delayed, many papers face closure.

He added that during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the government provided stimulus packages to various sectors, the newspaper industry was excluded

The government still owes newspapers over Tk 1 billion (100 crore) in unpaid advertisement bills, he claimed.

Azad also spoke about the professional risks faced by journalists saying that when a journalist tries to do investigative reporting, they face threats.

Citing the murders of Faridpur journalist Gautam Das and a photojournalist in Sirajganj, Azad noted that district-level journalists still live in constant danger of bodily harm and false cases.

He also noted that not only journalists, but also democracy will bear the fruits of press freedom.

“If we can preserve press freedom, it will benefit not only journalists but also future governments. True democracy can only be strengthened when political parties genuinely cooperate with the media,” he added.