TIB criticises draft media ordinances
Staff Reporter :
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on Saturday strongly criticised the draft National Media Commission Ordinance and Broadcasting Commission Ordinance, calling them a “parting mockery” of public aspirations for an independent and free media environment.
TIB noted that for many years there has been a clear demand for a single, independent, and effective media commission to foster free journalism and autonomous broadcasting—an expectation also reflected in the recommendations of the Media Reform Commission.
However, more than ten months after the submission of that report, the interim government has taken no visible steps to implement those proposals.
Instead, at the closing phase of its tenure, the government released two separate draft ordinances aimed at creating new regulatory bodies—the National Media Commission and the Broadcasting Commission.
Expressing deep concern, TIB said the drafts run contrary to public expectations and the Media Reform Commission’s guidance, and appear designed to tighten governmental control over the media sector.
The organisation further described the three-day window for public feedback as a “parting mockery” by the interim government.
TIB also criticised the government’s persistent culture of secrecy across various sectors, along with reform-resistant and obstructive actions carried out by certain quarters in the name of state reform.
In a statement, TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said the proposed structures of both commissions, including the status, authority, and ranking of commissioners, as well as administrative and financial arrangements, clearly indicate institutions that would remain firmly under government—particularly bureaucratic—control.
“This fundamentally contradicts the interim government’s stated commitment to promoting free media and independent broadcasting,” he said.
Although the developments are disappointing, Iftekharuzzaman said they are not unexpected.
He pointed out that throughout the interim government’s tenure, there has been little success in preventing state and non-state influence over the media, incidents of violence, or overt and covert attempts to assert control.
He added that the draft ordinances, released at the very end of the government’s term, further demonstrate an adversarial attitude toward media freedom.
Highlighting the shortcomings of the existing Press Council and the absence of an equivalent framework for broadcast media, he recalled that the Media Reform Commission had recommended establishing a single, independent media commission free from government dominance.
“Unfortunately, the government has shown no willingness whatsoever to consider this recommendation,” he said.
Instead of forming two separate regulatory bodies for closely related sectors, TIB reiterated its call for a unified, fully independent media commission operating outside government authority.
The organisation urged the government to refrain from hastily enacting the draft ordinances.
It also called on political parties contesting the upcoming election—many of whom have themselves faced media restrictions—to uphold their commitments in election manifestos and campaigns.
After the formation of the next parliament, TIB said, steps should be taken to establish a genuinely independent, neutral, and unified media commission.
Such a body, TIB added, would uphold the highest professional standards and help create a supportive environment for the growth of free media and independent broadcasting in Bangladesh.