The premier pledges press freedom, agrees to review cases against journalists, he says

UNB

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has made it clear that he does not want to make any journalist or media outlet hostile, Newspaper Owners’ Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) President and Manab Zamin Editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury said on Tuesday.

“We talked about press freedom. On press freedom, he (PM) said that he does not want to make anyone hostile. This is a very good thing as no head of state or head of government has said this before,” he told reporters after a meeting with the prime minister.

The meeting was held at the Secretariat with NOAB members, where they discussed a range of issues, including press freedom and the challenges facing the newspaper industry.

Matiur Rahman Chowdhury said they appreciated the prime minister’s stance on liberal democracy and assured their support if the government continues on that path.

“The most important thing is that we told him (PM) that he is moving on the path of liberal democracy, which is positive for Bangladesh. As newspapers and as the media, we will support him in this journey if he continues on this path,” he said.

The veteran editor said the media industry is under serious pressure, particularly due to economic strain, raising concerns about its sustainability.

“We shared our concerns with the prime minister. He listened to us carefully. We also told him that he is a man of this industry. As you know, he was associated with a newspaper (Dainik Dinkal) for a long time, and he understands its challenges. He listened to us and spoke with us sincerely,” he said.

Matiur Rahman Chowdhury also said the prime minister agreed in principle to many of their demands, although some steps may take time to implement.

He said they reminded the prime minister of previous actions against the media, when he said he is aware of all those matters.

“He assured us that his government will not follow that path. We found the meeting very useful and effective,” he added.

Asked about the specific demands they made at the meeting, the NOAB president said they raised concerns about harassment of journalists, including those facing cases or are in custody.

He said the prime minister assured them that the government will look into whether any journalists are actually in jail without valid reasons, or whether they can be granted bail. “The prime minister said he will look into this matter carefully,” he said.

Matiur Rahman Chowdhury also said the prime minister has agreed to hold such meetings at least once every three months.

Outgoing NOAB President AK Azad of the Dainik Samakal, Prothom Alo Editor and Publisher Matiur Rahman, The Daily Star Editor and Publisher Mahfuz Anam, Bonik Barta Editor and Publisher Dewan Hanif Mahmud, and Financial Express Publisher Nasim Manzur, among others, were also present at the meeting.