Media representatives urge unity to defend independent
Staff Reporter :
Senior media figures have called for unity across the profession to defend independent, responsible and courageous journalism, warning that attacks on news organisations threaten not just journalists but the democratic rights of society as a whole.
Speaking at the opening of a media convention at the Krishibid Institution in the capital, Nurul Kabir, president of the Editors’ Council and editor of the English daily New Age, said the aspiration to establish democracy could never be treated as a crime.
He argued that institutions working to uphold democratic values were increasingly being silenced through state pressure, legal mechanisms and the use of force.
“This is why internal solidarity is essential, and why we must act together,” Kabir said.
“Media outlets are not merely tools to fulfil the democratic aspirations of a few hundred or a few thousand journalists. If the media cannot function freely, remain active and speak out, then the rights of the entire society will inevitably be undermined,” he added.
The convention was jointly organised by the Newspaper Owners’ Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) and the Editors’ Council to protest recent attacks on freedom of expression and to reaffirm a collective commitment to independent journalism.
Representatives from print, television and online media, along with leaders of journalist unions and press clubs from across the country, attended the event.
Referring to attacks on the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, including arson and attempts to block fire service access, Kabir described the incidents as acts of “medieval barbarity”, not expressions of anger.
“This was not an attack on a building,” he said. “Locking journalists inside and setting fire around them in the twenty-first century is an attempt to burn people alive. Today it is one newspaper; tomorrow it will be another. In such a situation, unity is not optional – it is urgent.”
Kabir warned that elements involved in the violence were exploiting the legacy of the mass uprising that took place a year and a half earlier to undermine its democratic spirit.
“At a time when the country is fighting for political and democratic reform, the media is being attacked,” he said. “Those responsible are trying to destroy the very ideals they claim to invoke.”
NOAB president A.K. Azad echoed concerns over state interference in the media, saying independent journalism was essential for national development.
He alleged that while electronic media could be shut down instantly, print media faced pressure through reduced government advertising, intimidation of private advertisers and the use of intelligence agencies to influence editorial decisions.
“If the government treats the media this way, independent journalism becomes impossible,” he said.
Veteran journalist and Jai Jai Din editor Shafik Rehman urged journalists to remain united but also advised them to develop alternative skills to survive professional uncertainty.
“At the end of the month, income matters,” he said, encouraging journalists to read widely and build expertise beyond the newsroom to protect their independence and dignity.
Prothom Alo editor Matiur Rahman cautioned against expecting automatic change under any future elected government.
Drawing on five decades of experience, he said no government had refrained from trying to control the press.
He described cross-ideological unity among journalists as the convention’s greatest achievement and stressed that solidarity was essential to resist injustice and repression.
Addressing the gathering, The Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam said independent journalism remained the only institution capable of speaking truth to power without fear.
Describing journalists as “social doctors”, he said their role was to diagnose society’s failures, not to flatter authority.
He also called on media owners to adopt a code of conduct, warning that treating media investment purely as a commercial venture would erode public trust.
The convention, titled Media Convention 2026, opened with the national anthem and was attended by leaders from journalist associations, editors, publishers, columnists and reporters from Dhaka and beyond.
Organisers said the event aimed to send a clear message: attacks on the media are attacks on democracy itself, and defending press freedom requires collective resolve, courage and unity.