Each year journalists, news media and supporters of free and independent journalism across the world celebrate November 2 as a red-letter day for journalism. The UN General Assembly declared this day as the “International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists” in General Assembly Resolution A/RES/68/163. It urged the member states to adopt and... Continue Reading →
The beauty of democracy is that it provides space to anyone; irrespective of the social or economic status of a person they can assume power and with it can do an enormous number of good things that can benefit the society as a whole. But it has a dark side as well: it allows anyone,... Continue Reading →
The world at present is encountering remarkable challenges in promoting governance, democracy, transparency, press freedom and economic development. For sustainable development, good governance is a must for any nation. Media is an important source of information and it plays a critically important role in shaping a healthy democracy and bolster good governance. But there is... Continue Reading →
On September 27, a Narayanganj lower court accepted the bribery charges pressed against Shyamal Kanti Bhakta, the headmaster of Piyar Sattar Latif High School. In August last year, the high court rejected a police probe report and ordered judicial inquiry into the public humiliation Bhakta had been subjected to on May 13, 2017. The judicial... Continue Reading →
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina did a commendable job when she asked the administration and her party leaders to inquire into the curious case of Gazi Tariq Salman, the now-famed Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Barguna. Soon after her reaction was made public, both the administration and Awami League leaders acted promptly, which ultimately led to... Continue Reading →
In a historic moment on September 8, 2000 the United Nations (UN) adopted the Millennium Declaration that urged for “efforts to promote democracy and strengthen the rule of law, as well as respect for all internationally recognised human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to development.” It also supported the “freedom of the media... Continue Reading →
The Bangladesh government aims to regulate and monitor online news media, New Age newspaper reports. Many news portals show scant regard for accountability, says Information Minster Hasanul Haq Inu. Under proposed rules, news sites, including those run by newspapers and TV stations, must seek registration. They will be barred from carrying content that "demeans" the... Continue Reading →
The ideal approach could be formation of an independent National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) that would examine the existing laws and policies first and then chalk out a media governance plan. Instead, we have a new law on the table to talk about – the Broadcasting Act, 2016, indemnifying the minister, commission officials, consultants and other... Continue Reading →
Despite recent terror attacks, Paris joined the New Year's celebrations while Berlin went ahead with the celebration even after police warned of possible terror attacks in Munich. While Paris and Berlin had the spirit to go ahead with New Year celebrations, Dhaka decided to curtail its citizen's right to express joy. The government advised people... Continue Reading →
মুক্তচিন্তা (muktochinta) 