Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh has advanced 16 positions in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), reflecting what officials describe as the interim government’s hands-off approach to media regulation.
According to the latest RSF report released on Friday to mark World Press Freedom Day, Bangladesh now ranks 149th out of 180 countries – up from 165th in the previous year.
The country scored 33.71 out of 100, an improvement from 27.64 in 2024.
Information and Broadcasting Adviser Mahfuj Alam credited the improvement to the government’s commitment to non-interference in media operations.
“There is no intervention-neither by phone nor through any other means-from the government in media affairs,” he stated.
The adviser underscored that public media platforms such as Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television, along with private outlets, are now operating independently.
He added that ongoing initiatives aim to strengthen press freedom and that reforms will soon be introduced in line with recommendations from the Media Reform Commission.
“These developments demonstrate the government’s intention to support a free and vibrant media landscape,” Mahfuj noted. “We are hopeful of even greater progress in next year’s index.”
Neighbouring India, by comparison, ranks 151st in this year’s index.
RSF’s global report also called for a “New Deal for Journalism,” urging governments, private stakeholders, and regional bodies to implement 11 key recommendations to safeguard press freedom.
The organisation highlighted the growing economic vulnerability of the media sector as a leading global concern.
According to RSF, journalism is practised under “difficult” or “very serious” conditions in half the world’s countries-a figure that rises to three-quarters when considering only the economic context.
