Dhaka: In light of the significant obstacles facing the media, Bangladesh is commemorating World Press Freedom Day. The media landscape in Bangladesh has been shaken by political shifts.

After last year’s July revolt, almost two dozen publications had their leadership altered. Several journalists are being charged with murder. Their financial accounts are also being looked at by the relevant authorities. The journalists’ accreditation cards have been revoked by the authorities. A few journalists lost their jobs.

In 1993, the United Nations General Assembly established May 3 as World Press Freedom Day, which was a significant turning point in the defense of media freedom and freedom of speech.

“We see that the media industry has changed after the July–August transition in Bangladesh last year. Golam Rahman, editor of Ajker Patrika, a Bengali daily newspaper in Bangladesh, said, “We also discovered that some of the editors were relieved of their positions in newspapers and televisions, and some new people joined there.”

At least eight newspaper editors and the news directors of eleven private television stations have been fired or forced to resign, while several have quit their positions, according to a story in The Daily Star.

“We discover that there is a quiet crisis in the media because, despite the fact that the media writes and reports on issues, many of our editors and other important figures do not feel comfortable writing about their opinions. They are a little hesitant to really voice their opinions,” Rahman said in an interview with the media report.

We are aware that some individuals were arrested, others were imprisoned, and several important newspaper editors were also detained. “Those are obstacles to the right to free speech,” he said.

According to the interim administration led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, the government did not assist anybody or step in to alter the ownership or management of any privately held media outlets. The government claims that private news outlets have independently replaced their executives.

However, in practice, we discover that certain current government officials ordered the expulsion of some media personnel from certain television stations. Additionally, they were told to change for newspaper editorship. On social media and in foreign media, we may uncover secret information. There are some barriers in our media that prevent them from expressing their own ideas. Rahman said, “There are covert censorships.”

“We are carrying on this tradition from ancient times. The majority of the time, it is written that there is media freedom. However, the truth is that we haven’t always had complete freedom of the press. The freedom of the media is always being attacked and restricted. There are always some limitations. All of these things exist, sometimes by law, sometimes by order, and sometimes by practice. In the nation, complete media independence is still a long way off. Even prominent political parties or leaders may exert pressure on the media due to political pressures and meddling. We have to deal with that legacy and historical truth,” he said.

Rahman said, “Some journalists were imprisoned recently as a result of this conduct. Behind the bar is where they are. They have been charged with murder. However, I should point out that such are not legitimate justifications or instances for them. They are only doing it because they are applying pressure on the media, namely to certain journalists. They can’t keep them behind bars without it. That is the primary, significant issue. Journalists need to be allowed to write freely.