Governments fall when independent media not allowed to flourish: Mahfuz Anam

Mahfuz Anam, editor of The Daily Star, believes independent journalism is necessary even for the success of governments themselves. He said one of the main reasons behind the fall of previous governments was their failure to allow independent media to flourish.

He made the remarks on Friday morning during the opening session of the “Bangladesh Journalism Conference 2026” at a hotel in the capital. The two-day international conference has been organised by Media Resources Development Initiative (MRDI).

The first session focused primarily on investigative journalism. Mahfuz Anam said the future of Bangladesh lies within investigative journalism. However, he noted that the country has not seen enough investigative reporting in the past, nor is it happening sufficiently now. Whether it will flourish in the future, he added, depends largely on the role of editors.

Mahfuz Anam further said, “The rise of editorial institutions and independent journalism are prerequisites for investigative journalism.… Unfortunately, our editors are not reaching that standard.”

Referring to the politicisation of journalism, he said, “Those of us who work in journalism are perhaps not giving enough importance to the profession itself. We very easily drift from journalism into politics. We have seen that during one regime, a group of journalists supportive of that government remains in leadership positions, while journalists from the other side move around quietly and even struggle for existence. Then, when the regime changes, the leadership among journalists also changes.”

He also said journalism plays a major role in political change. According to him, Bangladesh must confront power struggles, corruption, and the misuse of public funds and resources in order to progress. “Only investigative journalism can hold power accountable,” he said.

“Only investigative journalism can ensure good governance and establish accountability in society. It is at the heart of democratic development, and at this moment it is extremely important for Bangladesh.”

Other speakers in the session included Zaffar Abbas, editor of Dawn; Michael Cooke, former editor of the Toronto Star; and Fahim Ahmed, CEO of Jamuna Television. The session was moderated by former BBC journalist Shakeel Anwar.