Reform commission 'weighing scope of separate law for media'

The interim government-formed 'Media Reforms Commission' is weighing the possibility of making a separate law for protecting the media.

Head of the commission Kamal Ahmed made the observation while exchanging views with the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression Irene Khan at the information Bhaban on Sunday, said a press release.

UNESCO Program Officer Noor Jannat Prama was present along with the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression.

Commission members Shamsul Huq Zahid, Akhtar Hussain Khan, Begum Kamrunnesa Hasan, Syed Abdal Ahmad, Jimmy Amir, Mostafa Sabuj and Abdullah Al Mamun also attended the view exchange meeting.

During the view exchange meeting, Ms. Irene Khan expressed her interest in progress of works, scope and process of the Media Reforms Commission, it mentioned.

The UN official said the international community also has a stake in Bangladesh's media reform as Bangladesh is a signatory country to many international treaties and under those international laws there are certain obligations for each country.

She, however, said there are many concerns about human rights as the draft of the cyber security law has been published.

"Disappointingly, the powers of the law enforcement agencies in particular remain unchanged like the previous law," the press release quoted Ms. Irene Khan as saying.

When a journalist is killed, it has a chilling effect on the media, she observed, adding that such fear leads to self-censorship.

Ms. Irene Khan also laid emphasis on transparency in media ownership. The Head of the Media Reforms Commission said the state of economic insecurity leads to question of various compromises, various types of corruptions, which eventually affects freedom of the media.

Terming legal barriers a major area of concerns, it quoted Mr. Ahmed as saying: "There are many laws through which our rights have been kept limited"

The law is designed in such a way that the government can use it to suppress the voice of the media, he said, adding that If the government wants to utilize such laws, then no media will be able to work.