Revoking journalists’ accreditation cards was a mistake, says CA press secy

The decision to cancel the press accreditation cards used by journalists to enter the Secretariat was a mistake, Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said today (26 June).

However, he questioned, "Can any journalist or organisation claim they were denied entry to the Secretariat?" 

Speaking at a seminar titled "Freedom of the Media: Review of the Legal Framework for the Protection of Journalists and Redressal of Complaints," organised by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) at the CIRDAP Auditorium in Dhaka, Shafiqul Alam stated that around 600 journalists currently have access to the secretariat.  

"They are going there, reporting, and we haven't received any complaints. Although the process has slowed down, accreditation should be issued more quickly," he added.

Mentioning that a committee has been formed to oversee the issuance of accreditation cards, he said, "If the committee's recommendations are implemented, I believe the situation will improve."

"In the past 10 months, the current government has not pressured or obstructed journalists or the media — unlike during the Awami League period," he said.

Rejecting criticism over press freedom, Shafiqul Alam said, "It is wrong to say journalists in Bangladesh lack freedom. In fact, there is more journalistic freedom here than in many developed countries."

Speaking at the event, Election Reform Commission Chairman Badiul Alam Majumder said, "There has been anarchy in the media for 15 years, which helped legitimise illegal elections and opened the door for fascism. The media is the key to exposing irregularities. If it had functioned properly, fraudulent elections could have been prevented." 

NDM Chairman Bobby Hajjaj said, "To ensure press freedom, media ownership and management must be separated and operate on a non-profit basis. Without this, true press freedom is not possible."