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.

Our country’s journalists, editors, and readers alike would certainly prefer to believe that a new chapter when it comes to the media is beginning - one where the press can operate without fear or favour. 

However, history compels us to not be overly optimistic and rather remain cautious.

For decades, successive governments have spoken of protecting freedom of expression while simultaneously tightening controls on the press. From the use of draconian laws such as the Digital Security Act to intimidate reporters, to the harassment of editors who dared to publish uncomfortable truths, one thing has been clear and consistent through the years: Lofty promises have too often been followed by suppression.

It is precisely because of our unfortunate history that the minister’s statement must be judged not by its rhetoric but by its implementation. Media freedom cannot be declared; it must be practised. 

That means repealing or reforming laws that criminalize journalism, ending arbitrary arrests of reporters, and ensuring that state institutions respect the independence of the press. 

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.

The future of this nation depends on transparency, and transparency depends on a free press. The government now has an opportunity to prove that its words are not empty gestures.