No commission can work amid anarchy, media experts warn

Leading editors, media owners, academics and journalists have called for the establishment of an independent media commission to address what they described as a deepening crisis in Bangladesh's media industry, marked by shrinking revenues, declining public trust, weak professional standards and a lack of accountability.

At the same time, they warned that the proposed commission will remain ineffective unless the disorder, opacity and irregularities entrenched in the country's media sector are first addressed.

The discussion, titled "Media Commission: Expectations from the Government", was jointly organised by Media Resources Development Initiative, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust and International Media Support in Dhaka today (13 June).

Kamal Ahmed, consulting editor of The Daily Star, was unequivocal. "No commission will be able to work in the media environment that exists in this country today," he said. "With so much disorder and anarchy, how can order ever be restored?"

Ahmed cited the failure to implement the Media Reform Commission's flagship 'One Media, One House' policy as a glaring example of institutional inaction. "A house that had one television channel is now publishing three daily newspapers simultaneously. The government has taken no action; instead, the anarchy is only growing," he said.

He also questioned the motives behind the rapid expansion of media ownership. "Where is the honey? It is an endless stream of sweetness. Everyone just wants to start a newspaper, launch a television channel, open an online portal," he remarked.

Ahmed stressed that mandatory disclosure of media investment sources was essential to curbing the flow of black money into the sector. "Without it, black money has entered in the past, is entering now, and will continue to enter in the future — and no commission will be able to function under those conditions," he warned.

Other speakers echoed similar concerns, pointing to the media's existential crisis, eroding public trust and the difficulty of forming a genuinely independent commission.

Gitiara Nasreen, professor of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism at the University of Dhaka and a member of the Media Reform Commission, said the country's media stands at a critical crossroads. "We have now arrived at a point where this is a question of our existence — a question of survival," she said. "How will the media sustain itself? How will news outlets survive?"

She drew attention to a deepening trust deficit between the press and the public. "The audience and the news media now stand face to face, blaming each other. Neither trusts the other," she said.

Nasreen cautioned against viewing the proposed commission as a cure-all. "It is not a panacea," she said, adding that it should instead serve as a platform for regular stakeholder engagement, opinion gathering, and evidence-based policymaking through research and monitoring. She also proposed a dedicated research wing to monitor developments and guide long-term reform.

Sakhawat Liton, executive editor of The Business Standard, said forming a commission genuinely free from executive branch influence remains the most formidable challenge.

"Within this environment, we want an independent media commission free from control. Our expectations are very high, so we need to move forward carefully, keeping these challenges in mind," he said.

Drawing on the track record of institutions such as the Press Council, Liton warned that bodies formed with promises of independence had consistently failed to deliver. He cautioned that the new commission must not become another "Rehabilitation centre" for political appointees.

"Freedom of expression we have," he said. "What we need is that freedom after expression."

Liton also proposed the formation of a specialist lawyer panel under the commission to provide rapid legal assistance to journalists facing prosecution or harassment over their professional work.

A national media commission has been proposed to bring coherence to Bangladesh's fragmented regulatory landscape, where multiple bodies currently oversee the sector with little coordination. If established, the commission would be mandated to raise media standards, protect journalists, ensure accountability and formulate policy.

Experts, however, insisted that its success would hinge on three factors: independence, accountability and genuine stakeholder participation. They also called for clear provisions on the commission's funding, operational transparency and formal mechanisms for incorporating the views of media professionals.

"The success of this commission will depend entirely on its freedom from interference and its capacity to protect the media's interests," said one speaker. "Otherwise, it risks becoming yet another institution that fails to address the crisis."