Govt inaction to blame for attacks on press

The government has failed to act on the recommendations of the Media Reform Commission and must therefore bear full responsibility for any harassment or attacks on journalists since the report was submitted, said Kamal Ahmed, who headed the commission.

Expressing frustration over government inaction, he said, “Exactly eight months and 28 days after we submitted the report, the building where I work [The Daily Star] has been set on fire, and 28 media workers were almost burned alive. Even the fire service was obstructed from rescuing them.”

He also expressed concern that the recommendations of the report might never be implemented by the current government.

Kamal made the remarks at a dialogue titled “Media Reforms: Present Progress and Future Imperatives”, organised by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) at the Cirdap Auditorium in Dhaka yesterday.

Describing the attack on the Prothom Alo and The Daily Star buildings on the night of December 18, he said, “If the incident had occurred a few hours earlier, I too would have faced the same fate.”

The journalist questioned the government’s apparent inability to protect media institutions and highlighted how social media is increasingly being used to target journalists.

He clarified that he does not blame political parties, as no party officially called for attacks on newspapers or journalists. Instead, he said, calls for violence came from YouTubers, who spread misinterpretations and misinformation to incite people.

He accused the government of fostering a “culture of fear” by creating and validating mobs as “pressure groups.”

CGS Chairman Zillur Rahman also criticised the government’s inaction over the attacks on the two media houses. At the same time, he expressed concern that media organisations themselves appear disinterested in addressing their own problems or achieving true independence.

Ruhin Hossain Prince, former general secretary of the Community Party of Bangladesh, said a culture of fear has replaced traditional censorship in the media.

Other speakers at the event included journalists M Abdullah, Muktadir Rashid, Kazi Jesin, Supreme Court lawyer Shihab Uddin Khan, NHK TV representative Parveen F Chowdhury, and BNP member Mir Arshadul Huq.