Round Table B:

Safety for Community,

Regional and Local
Media

AHM Bazlur Rahman-S21BR

Chief Executive Officer
Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio
and Communication(BNNRC)
www.bnnrc.net

Media freedom in Bangladesh

Media infrastructure :
- Media plurality: electronic media
- Media plurality: print media

Legal impediments faced by Journalists:

- Journalists arrested
- Journalists sued

Environment for media performance

-

Journalists
Journalists
Journalists
Journalists
Journalists

Killed
threatened
attacked
injured
assaulted

Frequency of different types of attacks

against Journalists
-

Killing
Serious bodily injury
Minor Assaults Threat/Intimidation
Arrest/Police Remand
Abduction
Contempt of Court Defamation Case (Criminal)
Destruction of equipment
Gender based attacks

Frequency of different types of attacks

Torture/Harassment/Threat
Death Threat
Terrorist and unanimous by phone
Case file against published news
Torture by Terrorist/attack/threat/harassment/bomb
thrown
Attack/Torture/ Harassment by Political parties

Journalism in Bangladesh
Safety & Security : Challenges
-Owners of Media houses are centered to their own vested interest
( Multi Business Houses)
- Journalist are biased by self-censorship
- Journalist Association/Union link with Political Party
- Lack of Media literacy increases risk for
Journalist
- Lack of awareness Law Enforcement Agencies
(LEA)

Community Journalism in Bangladesh

Safety & Security : Challenges
- Mainstream journalism yet
not Acknowledge
Community Journalism
- Community Journalist are
not united
- Community Journalist are
biased by self-censorship
- Lack of Media literacy
increases risk for
Community Journalist

- Incidents of assault of
Community Journalist are
open hard to differentiate
whether these are personal or
professional
- Community Journalist do not
have any coverage in line
with physical and
professional
- Rural media outlets are not
profitable concerns
- Lack of any curriculum /
course for promoting
Community Journalism
- Community Journalist are not
include in wage board declare
by Govt.

Government Response:
The Constitution of Bangladesh guarantees the
freedom of speech and expression under Article
39.
- There is no scope for impunity for the charge of
such killings/attacked
- Meanwhile police have arrested a number of
suspects in the killings
- Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has condemned the
attacks.
- High-ranking police officials are saying that the
killers of the journalist will be brought under the
law.

Considering following steps:

Condemn all acts of violence against journalists and bloggers, and
commit to hold accountable those who are responsible for the
attacks.
Take reasonable steps to protect communicators when they know, of
a real and immediate risk to the life of an identified individual.
Take all necessary steps towards prompt, effective and transparent
investigation to ensure the perpetrators, and organisers, of all crimes
against journalists
Establish a specific mechanism to provide protection and to
investigate attacks on freedom of expression, overseen by an
independent body.
UNESCO:
Strengthen Media Literacy at Country level
Assessing Media Development Indicators(MDI)
Media Viability Indicators