BNP committed to building independent media if voted to power: Fakhrul
Fakhrul said that if BNP assumes power, it plans to establish a commission to reform the media
The BNP is committed to building an independent media if voted to power, the party's Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said today (24 November).
Speaking as the chief guest at a views-exchange meeting with representatives of political parties, organised by the Broadcast Journalist Centre (BJC) at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Centre in the capital's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Fakhrul said, "Our commitment is very clear. You have seen in our 31-point outline that we have clearly stated we want to see an independent media and we want to build it."
Fakhrul said that if BNP assumes power, it plans to establish a commission to reform the media.
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"A commission has already been formed. Although the commission's report has been prepared, there has been no further discussion on it," he added.
He said BNP would prioritise the Media Reform Commission's report if the party forms the government.
"We hope that if we are entrusted with the responsibility of governing through the people's mandate, we will undoubtedly prioritise it," he said.
The BNP secretary general also said there are many journalists' unions, often divided along party lines.
"Political parties do not want to put anyone in their pocket. But if they [journalists] willingly go into the pocket, that becomes a big problem," he said.
Referring to the past 15 years, Fakhrul claimed that many journalists had taken the initiative to support fascism. Journalists also need to make commitments, he noted, adding that they should keep themselves above partisan positions and practice independent journalism.
