Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has strongly criticised the interim government’s move to introduce separate draft ordinances for a National Media Commission and a Broadcasting Commission, calling the initiative a “parting mockery” of long-standing public expectations for free and independent media development.
In a statement issued on Friday, TIB said the publication of the two draft ordinances at the final stage of the interim government’s tenure – while allowing only three days for public feedback – reflected both disregard for transparency and a clear departure from the recommendations of the Media Reform Commission.
TIB noted that the demand for a unified, independent media commission has existed for years and was formally articulated in the Media Reform Commission’s report. However, more than 10 months after the report’s submission, the government has taken no steps to implement its core recommendations.
Instead, the statement read, it has proposed the formation of two new regulatory bodies, which TIB believes would further entrench government and bureaucratic control over the media sector.
“In both cases, the proposed structure and status of the commissions, the rank and authority of the commissioners, and the administrative and financial arrangements are designed to place these institutions firmly under government control,” said TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman. “This represents a mockery of the interim government’s stated commitment to the development of free media and independent broadcasting.”
He added that the government’s failure throughout its tenure to curb state and non-state interference in the media, including violence and coercive practices, was well documented, and that the draft ordinances reflected the same adversarial posture toward media freedom.
Referring to the limitations of the existing Press Council and the absence of any comparable regulatory framework for broadcast media, Iftekharuzzaman said the Media Reform Commission had recommended the establishment of a single, independent media commission free from government influence, based on research and stakeholder consultations.
The government, he said, had shown “not the slightest consideration” for this recommendation.
TIB urged the government not to hastily promulgate the draft ordinances and instead reconsider its approach. The organisation also called on political parties contesting the upcoming election – many of whom have themselves faced restrictions on media freedom – to act swiftly after the formation of the next parliament.
TIB went on to add that respecting their own commitments and public expectations, political parties should initiate a participatory process to establish a genuinely independent and impartial unified media commission capable of upholding professional standards and fostering an enabling environment for free media and independent broadcasting in Bangladesh.
