Govt moves towards independent media commission

The government is moving forward with plans to establish an independent Media Commission, with a national action plan currently being developed to guide the process, Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon said on Wednesday.

The minister shared the information during a courtesy meeting with European Union Ambassador Michael Miller at his office in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, according to a press release.
The discussions focused on media freedom, freedom of expression and ongoing efforts to strengthen the media sector in Bangladesh.

During the meeting, Ambassador Michael Miller welcomed the government’s initiative to create an independent Media Commission and expressed the European Union’s willingness to provide all necessary assistance for the effort.

He noted that the EU has extensive experience in safeguarding media freedom and said Bangladesh could benefit from that expertise.

Responding to the envoy, Swapon said the government remains committed to ensuring media freedom. At the same time, he stressed that protecting citizens from misinformation and disinformation is also an important responsibility of the state.

“The current government is committed to ensuring media freedom. However, alongside freedom, protecting people from misinformation and disinformation is also one of the government’s key responsibilities,” the minister said.

He explained that the proposed Media Commission is being designed with both objectives in mind.
According to the minister, a draft committee will be formed after consulting stakeholders from across the media sector. The committee will prepare a National Action Plan and submit its recommendations to the government.

The independent Media Commission will subsequently be established on the basis of that National Action Plan, he added.