Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon spoke as the chief guest at a programme marking the 56th anniversary of Dainik Biplobi Bangladesh. Photo : BSS

BARISHAL, Aug 9, 2026 (BSS) - Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon has said the media is a mirror of society and must accurately reflect how society functions.

“The media is the mirror of society. How society functions should be reflected in the media. The mirror of the media must be flawless,” he said.

The minister made the remarks as the chief guest at a programme marking the 56th anniversary of Dainik Biplobi Bangladesh, a newspaper published from Barishal, at Ashwini Kumar Hall in the Sadar Road area of the city.

“A media with flaws will not be able to portray the real face of society. Therefore, the responsibility for making the media flawless must be taken by the media itself. Otherwise, the media will lose its credibility,” he said.

Swapon said the media must also play the role of a watchdog to ensure that all political parties remain committed to changing the country’s political culture.

“If journalists collectively conduct investigative reports, identify the sources of drugs and those involved in the trade, and expose influential people involved in crime, society or politics, it will become much easier for the state to take action,” he said.

The minister said a deep conspiracy is underway to keep the future generation addicted to drugs.

“The future generation is being targeted, while Bangladesh is also being used as a market. We have also seen that some MPs of the previous Awami League government from border areas amassed assets worth crores of taka through the illegal drug trade.

 Following the change of government, those involved in the trade are now seeking partners within the current ruling party. Such important information can only be brought to light by the media,” he said.

On development, the minister said development should no longer be measured by mega projects, massive buildings or large, expensive vehicles.

“Development now does not mean mega projects, huge visible buildings or large vehicles that can be touched. Today’s development is the gas resources hidden beneath the ground—resources that the previous government could not or did not extract during its 17 years in power,” he said.

He alleged that the country’s electricity system and infrastructure had been made dependent on an import-based energy policy by importing fuel from abroad at costs thousands of times higher than domestic extraction costs, in order to benefit importers.

“Beyond the foreign currency we earn through ready-made garment exports and the foreign currency received through remittances, we do not have many sources of foreign currency earnings.

 How ruthless and greedy must a government be to conspire to make such a weak economy dependent on imports just to make a group of looters rich?” he said, referring to the previous Awami League government.

The minister said the previous government chose to import gas instead of extracting domestic gas because there was less opportunity for profit from extraction.

“The previous government did not extract gas and instead opted for imports because the profit is lower when gas is extracted. 

It is not possible to create middlemen in this process. But the current government is giving the highest priority to gas extraction.

 The government will import only as much gas as is necessary to sustain the electricity infrastructure.

 We will try to meet the rest through domestic extraction. This will make it possible to reduce costs,” he said.

Speaking about political reform, Swapon said the country needed a new political settlement.

“Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has announced a 31-point programme for this new political settlement. Through that programme, we want to repair Bangladesh. 

We want to reform Bangladesh,” he said.

“The culture of godfathers and musclemen will not be encouraged in the BNP. Political leaders and activists whose words themselves create an unpleasant impression and who cannot speak properly should not be given a place in the BNP,” he said.

He said the media must play a “whip-like role” so that political parties are compelled to take responsibility for changing the country’s political culture.

The programme was presided over by Nurul Alam Farid, freedom fighter, publisher and editor of Dainik Biplobi Bangladesh.

Among others, Barishal Press Club President Aminul Islam Khashru, BNP leader Azizul Haque Akkas, former member secretary of Barishal Metropolitan BNP Mir Zahidul Kabir Zahid, freedom fighter Israil Pandit, Barishal Sadar Upazila BNP Convener Nurul Amin, freedom fighter Ebadul Haque Chan, Barishal Metropolitan BNP Joint Convener Afroza Khanam Nasrin and district Mahila Dal President Fatema Rahman were present at the event.