Press secretary cautions media on labelling protests as mobs

Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Mohammad Shafiqul Alam highlighted the need to distinguish between legitimate protests and mobs and advocated for the implementation of the media wage board.

"Legitimate protests should be called protests, and what is genuinely a mob should be called a mob. Labelling a protest as a mob undermines the right to protest," he said during a roundtable on media reform at DRU's Shaffiqul Kabir Auditorium today (13 September). 

"Many are making such claims now, yet over the past 15 years, they remained silent about real mobs," he said.

The discussion, "Review and Recommendations on the Media Reform Commission", addressed challenges in Bangladesh's journalism sector, including wage board implementation, journalist protection, and digital media regulation.

Regarding Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), Shafiqul Alam criticised staffing decisions during the Awami League government, noting that relatives of those unable to secure jobs were placed in positions, depriving qualified candidates. He recommended a High Court-led investigation into appointments in taxpayer-funded institutions.

On wage boards, he endorsed the "No Wage Board, No Media" principle, adding that compliant institutions would receive government support. He also warned that licenses for television, online platforms, and newspapers in Bangladesh have become excessively inexpensive.

Discussing journalist unions, he stressed that union leaders should not simultaneously hold editorial roles. On social-media journalism, he warned that unregulated content on platforms like Facebook and YouTube spreads misinformation, citing examples of misleading posts seen by thousands daily.

Shafiqul Alam described the proposed Journalist Protection Act as beneficial, highlighting provisions to safeguard journalists.

Journalists at the event, including General Secretary Md Mia Hossain, called for a task force representing all media sectors to implement reform, enforce wage boards in electronic and online media, issue press IDs to reduce false reporting, and establish an independent media commission to resolve disputes.

Loton Ekram, editor of DBC News, criticised the slow pace: "Six months after the Media Reform Commission's recommendations, little progress is visible, aside from a few limited accreditation card cancellations."

Former DRU president Sakhawat Hossain Badsha added, "Despite the change in government, journalists still face attacks under the guise of 'mob justice.' Field journalists' needs remain largely ignored."

Acting president of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), Obaidur Rahman, highlighted continuing inequities in government advertising, noting that little-known newspapers receive the highest rates under flawed circulation lists.

Summing up, DRU president Abu Saleh Akon said, "Where laws are not enforced, excessive legislation achieves nothing. Journalists are attacked in front of police with no accountability. We must remain united and take our own measures."