AFTER months of delay and indifference to the media reform commission’s recommendations, the interim government published draft ordinances for the National Media Commission and the Broadcast Commission on January 29, but seeking public opinion in only three days. For decades, civic groups working on media freedom have asked for an independent commission, also echoed in the recommendation of the media reform commission. The commission has proposed a permanent, independent commission to serve as the oversight and arbitration authority for the media sector. There was a broad political consensus on forming an independent media commission, but the bureaucratic resistance stalled the initiative. At the very final stage of the tenure, days before the national elections, the government has published the draft without consulting the stakeholders and without allowing adequate time for constructive feedback. Against this backdrop, Transparency International Bangladesh is justified in describing the move as a continuation of the interim government’s culture of secrecy under the pretext of state reform.
Contrary to what the media reform commission has proposed, the structure of the two commissions as proposed in ordinance draft, are designed to establish institutions that are entirely under government control. The draft ordinance for the broadcast media has a provision for a five-member selection committee to recommend the commission, with at least three members from the bureaucracy. The committee would be composed of the cabinet secretary, the information secretary, two people with at least 15 years’ experience in broadcast activities and an additional secretary as its member secretary. A similar selection committee with the dominance of bureaucracy is also proposed for the national commission to oversee print and online media. The board of the Broadcast Journalists Centre has expressed concern that the broadcast media involve multiple stakeholders, including cable operators and internet service providers, yet the hurried draft fails to address the concerns of all. The terms of reference of both the commissions list several broad responsibilities, including handling public complaints, issuing binding directives and safeguarding journalistic professionalism, independence and rights, yet provide no clear road map for implementation. The draft ordinances are prepared with a punitive and controlling approach as many provisions consider executive decisions as final in any arbitration. Such an approach is contrary to the reform commission’s recommendations and undermines the principles of media freedom.
The interim government should, therefore, refrain from hurriedly promulgating the ordinances that would further consolidate bureaucratic control over the media under the guise of reform. All political parties campaigning for the national elections should support the establishment of a commission that upholds the highest professional standards while fostering an enabling environment for the growth of free media and independent broadcasting.
