The new Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan’s recent assurance that the new government is committed to ensuring the “highest level of media freedom” is, on the surface, an encouraging sentiment. For decades, successive governments have spoken of protecting freedom of expression while simultaneously tightening controls on the press. Media freedom cannot be declared; it must be practised. It especially means ensuring that criticism of government policy is not treated as disloyalty but as an essential part of democratic accountability and good governance. If the new government truly intends to guarantee the “highest level of media freedom,” it must act decisively to dismantle the structures of suppression that have long plagued the media.

Source: Dhaka Tribune March 01, 2026 07:35 UTC