BNP’s commitment is very clear, we want to foster a free and independent media: Mirza Fakhrul

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) wants to see and to establish a free and independent media, the party’s secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Monday.

He made the remark while speaking as the chief guest at a meeting to exchange views, organised by the Broadcast Journalist Centre (BJC) with representatives of political parties in the afternoon.

The event was held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre (BCFCC) in the capital’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.

“Our commitment is very clear. You have seen that in our 31-point programme we explicitly stated that we want to see an independent media, and we want to create it,” he said.

Mirza Fakhrul also said that the BNP had a plan to form a commission for media reforms if it came to power. That commission has since been formed. Although the commission’s report has been prepared, it has not been discussed subsequently, he noted.

If the BNP forms the government, the report of the Media Reform Commission will be accorded top priority, Fakhrul added. “We hope that if we are given the responsibility to govern through the people’s mandate, we will certainly consider this a priority.”

We don’t know how much reform is possible unless it is embraced in one’s heart, unless there is a genuine willingness to change, he said.

Mirza Fakhrul said that in 1975 the one-party system BAKSAL was established, and all newspapers were shut down. Only four newspapers were allowed to operate, and they were run under government control. When Ziaur Rahman assumed state power, he created a system for a free and independent press. Whenever the BNP has been in government, it has taken different steps to strengthen and modernise the media.

The BNP secretary general further said that journalists have multiple unions, sometimes split along the lines of political parties. “They themselves are becoming partisan. Political parties do not want to pocket anyone. But if they themselves jump into the pocket, that becomes a big problem.”

Referring to the past 15 years, Fakhrul said many journalists had voluntarily supported fascism. Journalists, too, must make a commitment; they must keep themselves above partisan influence and practise independent journalism.

The meeting was chaired by BJC chairperson Rezwanul Haque and moderated by member secretary Elias Hossain.

Speakers included Nagorik Oikya president Mahmudur Rahman Manna, National Citizen Party (NCP) member secretary Akhter Hossen, Ganosamhati Andolan chief coordinator Zonayed Saki, Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party) chairman Mojibur Rahman Monju, Islami Andolon Bangladesh presidium member Ashraf Ali Akon, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Dhaka south unit secretary Shafiqul Islam Masud, Gono Odhikar Parishad president Nurul Haque, former CPB general secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince, and BASAD assistant general secretary Rajekuzzaman Ratan, among others.

The keynote paper was presented by BJC executive member Milton Anower. Trustees Talat Mamun and Fahim Ahmed also took part in the discussion. The event was supported by BBC Media Action.

Among BJC’s eight proposals were: enacting a separate law for the broadcast media; forming an independent National Broadcast Commission; declaring TV channels as pay channels and recognising the broadcast media as an industry; drafting an accountable Code of Ethics for broadcast journalists; revising TV licensing and ownership policies; ensuring workers’ representation on boards of directors; establishing non-partisan unions; a structural reform agenda; an independent accreditation authority; and guidelines for journalism on digital platforms.

The BJC also expressed concern that the recommendations of the media commission and journalists’ proposals remain uncertain in terms of implementation.

The organisation expects political parties to consider these recommendations seriously, include them in their election manifestos, and pledge swift implementation.

The event was attended by top leaders of political parties, representatives from international development agencies, and various local and foreign organisations working on media development.