Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar has alleged that the ruling party has taken a 180-degree U-turn by breaking its pre-election commitments and pledges of the July Charter.
Speaking as chief guest at a seminar on Sunday, Porwar said the government was using its parliamentary majority to dismiss the entire reform agenda, adding that such conduct could not be that of a responsible or honest political party.
He was addressing an event titled “Reform of Information and Broadcasting Sector: A People-Oriented and Reformist Roadmap”, held at Abdus Salam Hall of the National Press Club. The seminar was organised by the Centre for Media, Information and Public Policy.
Porwar claimed that 84 reform proposals, developed through extensive consultations, had received support from around 70 per cent of the electorate nearly 50 million voters in a referendum held on 12 February. He noted that the prime minister and senior ruling party leaders had earlier campaigned in favour of these reforms.
However, he alleged that the government had since changed its position, citing recent remarks by the home minister and law minister suggesting that earlier commitments were made only to facilitate elections. He also criticised the government for questioning the legal basis of the Constitution Reform Council, describing it as a “political ploy” and “deception of the nation”.
The Jamaat leader said party Ameer Shafiqur Rahman had submitted an adjournment motion under Rule 68 of the Rules of Procedure of Parliament, seeking a meeting of the Constitution Reform Council. He stressed that full implementation of the 84 proposals was necessary to respect the public mandate.
Turning to media reform, Porwar said political parties had submitted 62 proposals to a consensus commission covering areas including media autonomy, advertising transparency, establishment of a media commission, protection of journalists, legal reform and digital media regulation. He lamented that these proposals were sidelined amid electoral urgency.
Drawing comparisons with historical journalism, he referred to newspapers such as Daily Azad and Daily Ittefaq, saying they were driven by ideology rather than corporate interests. He alleged that sections of today’s media operated behind “green rooms” where narratives were shaped to protect corporate interests and “black money”.
He also raised concerns over the misuse of social media and artificial intelligence, saying the absence of editorial oversight had led to widespread misinformation and what he described as a moral crisis.
Describing journalism as the “barometer of civilisation”, he said even major international outlets sometimes failed to properly reflect issues concerning developing countries and Muslim-majority societies.
On freedom of speech, Porwar said expression could not be unrestrained, arguing that Bangladesh’s cultural and religious values must be respected. He warned that freedom should be guided by moral boundaries to prevent attacks on religious sentiment or character, cautioning against what he termed the “destructive influence of western culture”.
The seminar was chaired by writer and Daily Sangram editor Abul Asad, while Khademul Islam Hridoy, assistant professor at Eastern New Mexico University, presented the keynote paper. Other speakers included Abu Saleh Akon, President of Dhaka Reporters’ Unity; Mostafa Kamal Majumder, Editor of Green Watch; and Kader Gani Chowdhury, Secretary of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists.
