Make draft of amended Press Council Act public: TIB

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has called for making the draft of amended Press Council Act public.
The anti-graft watchdog has also called for taking opinions from the stakeholders concerned like media and media workers on the draft amendment to the law in line with current practices and norms, says a statement.
Earlier on Saturday, Sampadak Parishad raised concern over an amendment to Bangladesh Press Council Act-2022 and demanded that the draft be published on its website.
Citing some news reports, TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said releasing its draft in public and gathering opinions from the stakeholders concerned is one of the prerequisites of a fair democratic process before enacting and amending any law. The practice is now being followed in almost all the laws formulated recently in the country, he added.
Efforts to draft amendment to the existing law to strengthen Bangladesh Press Council have been continuing for several years. Keeping the draft of this law unpublished, the press council has also expressed its inability to take opinions from stakeholders, especially Sampadak Parishad and various journalists' organisations, Dr Zaman says.
Since the law directly involves the interests of media and media workers, freedom and ethics related to free media, it is vitally required to inform these stakeholders at each step of the amendment to the law as well as adjust it after taking opinions, he pointed out.
Dr Zaman also said the government has been publishing different draft laws for the public interests since 2008 aiming to review them and gather opinions on them.
When this practice is seen as an excellent example of the democratic process in all legislations, why the draft amendment to Press Council Act should not be released publicly, he questioned. Through this practice of secrecy, an instance of arbitrariness has been set by ignoring conventional norms of the law enactment and amendment process of the country, according to the statement.
Also, it is logical to raise the question whether the Press Council is resorting to this secrecy for controlling the media and journalists rather than protecting their interests and freedom, it added.
Dr Zaman also expressed the hope that the Press Council would take necessary steps to release the draft law online showing its respect to the prevailing practice of the country.

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