Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan spoke at an iftar mahfil organized by BFUJ and DUJ at the National Press Club premises this afternoon. Photo: PID

DHAKA, Mar 11, 2026 (BSS) - Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan today said the media must play a strong role in institutionalising the country’s parliamentary democratic culture.

“The main goal of the present elected government is to give a strong institutional shape to the democratic and constitutional system. The media must play a powerful role in institutionalising parliamentary and constitutional political culture achieved through the struggle,” he said.

The minister was addressing an iftar gathering organised by the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) on the premises of the Jatiya Press Club here today.

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir spoke at the event as the chief guest.

Social Welfare Minister Dr Abu Jafar Md Zahid Hossain, State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Yeaser Khan Chowdhury and Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar addressed the programme as special guests.

Information Minister Swapan said the media represents the collective conscience of a nation and has played a courageous role in every democratic struggle of the country.

“From the historic Language Movement to the 1969 mass uprising, the Liberation War and the anti-autocracy movement of 1990 – the media played a bold role in every phase. Because of that role, the mass consciousness for ‘Bangla as the state language’ was created among the people,” he said.

Referring to the country’s political history after independence, he said the media again played a vital role in shaping public opinion when one-party rule was established.

“In that context, Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman reintroduced the practice of multi-party democracy through the second parliamentary election in Bangladesh. Later, when autocracy seized people’s voting rights,  the media,  in 1990 created the entire atmosphere of struggle under the leadership of Begum Khaleda Zia,” he added.

Highlighting the developments of the past one and a half decades, the minister said the nation was able to secure the freest election in history on February 12 following a long struggle against fascist rule and the sacrifice of students and people during the July uprising.

“In every phase, the media created the mainstream narrative of the people’s movement. Because of the strong role of the media, everything is now continuing within the constitutional framework,” he said.

Swapan said the major challenge now is to sustain the achieved democracy, voting rights and constitutional order.

“Under the leadership of Parliament Leader Tarique Rahman and the present elected government, we must ensure that these achievements take a permanent institutional form so that no future autocracy can take advantage of any institutional weakness,” he added.

Speaking as a special guest, State Minister Yeaser Khan Chowdhury said the present government, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, believes in full freedom of the press.

“Since the formation of the government, the media has been working freely and this environment will continue in the future as well,” he said, adding that the government will extend all necessary cooperation to ensure the media can work independently.

Chaired by DUJ President Mohammad Shahidul Islam and moderated by its General Secretary Khurshid Alam, the programme was also addressed by BFUJ President Obaidur Rahman Shaheen and Secretary General Kader Gani Chowdhury.

Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Abu Abdullah M Saleh, Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Ruman, Jatiya Press Club President Hasan Hafiz, General Secretary Ayub Bhuiyan, former president Kamal Uddin Sabuj, former general secretary Syed Abdal Ahmed and former DUJ president and Jugantor editor Kabi Abdul Hai Sikder, among others, were present at the event.