Nahid Islam, advisor to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, on Monday said that the interim government could announce the formation of a mass media reform commission within the next week.
"We are hopeful that we can declare the formation of the commission by next week, following the Chief Adviser's return from the United Nations General Assembly in New York," said Nahid during a meeting with media professionals, including publishers and editors, at an event organized by the Department of Films and Publication (DFP) at Tathya Bhaban.
The session was attended by Additional Information Secretary (in-charge) Md Nazrul Islam as a special guest, with DFP Director General Abul Kalam Mohammad Shamsuddin presiding over the gathering.
Nahid emphasized the importance of press freedom but questioned whether it should have certain boundaries. "Everyone supports freedom of the press, but we need to consider if there are limits. We aim to ensure full media freedom while prioritizing the interests of the nation and the recent student-led movements," he remarked.
He praised the media for its role in covering the events of the July uprising, stating that citizens relied heavily on newspapers for accurate information during that period. However, he also criticized certain outlets for supporting the previous authoritarian regime and warned that those who incited unrest during the uprising would be held accountable.
Regarding pending payments to newspapers, Nahid assured that the government is working on digitizing the payment system to streamline the process and reduce delays.
The daily Jugantar editor Saiful Alam, the daily Manabzamin editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, the daily Kaler Kantha editor Hasan Hafiz, the Daily Sun editor Rezaul Karim, the daily Prothom Alo executive editor Sajjad Sharif, the daily Naya Diganta executive editor Salauddin Babor,
The Daily Star's head of operation Mizanur Rahman, the daily Ajker Pathrika managing editor Kamrul Hasan, the daily Ittefaq news editor Ashok Kumar Singha, the daily Sangram managing editor Nurunnabi, the daily Sangbad chief reporter Shahriar Karim, the daily Inqilab executive editor Fahima Bahauddin Shama and the daily Azadi managing editor Wahid Malek, among others, spoke at the meeting.
