Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon today chaired a discussion marking World Press Freedom Day-2026 at the auditorium of the Information Bhaban in the capital. Photo: BSS

DHAKA, May 03, 2026 (BSS)- Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon has said transparency will be ensured in the methods of determining newspaper circulation and Television Rating Points (TRP) to bring discipline and accountability in the newspaper and television sectors.

Accurate data will be ensured through modern digital mechanism by discarding the existing methods, he said while chairing a discussion marking World Press Freedom Day-2026 at the auditorium of the Information Bhaban in the capital today.

The minister said in the information and communication science, no information is complete without data. 

“The methods currently in practice for determining newspaper circulation and television TRP are largely questionable. Through this system, the state, society and stakeholders remain in a kind of confusion. In this digital age, we will change the mechanism and come up with an acceptable and scientific solution,” he added.

Zahir Uddin Swapon said the government is going to form a Media Commission soon as part of overall reforms in the media sector.

Highlighting the importance of free flow of information, he said, “Freedom of information does not mean indiscriminate dissemination, rather information must be responsible and ‘clean information”.

He said facilities will be ensured in line with the wage board and labour law in the newspaper industry. Besides, initiatives will be taken to resolve professional legal complexities, including defamation cases, institutionally through the Press Council.

Speaking at the discussion, Chairman of Bangladesh Press Council Justice A K M Abdul Hakim said registration of professional journalists and creation of a strong database are essential to protect press freedom and improve the standard of journalism.
He said minimum educational qualifications and enlistment of journalists must be ensured to maintain professional skills and ethics. He also stressed enacting a comprehensive law for online news portals.

Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) General Secretary Kader Gani Chowdhury said credibility is the main asset of the media, and maintaining objectivity and neutrality is the core duty of journalists.

He warned that defeat of the media means defeat of the people, and defeat of the people means defeat of the state. So, the media must not be allowed to fail under any circumstances, he added.

Newspaper Owners’ Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) President Matiur Rahman Chowdhury cautioned that obedient journalism harms the media and accountability.

Association of Television Channel Owners (ATCO) General Secretary Abdus Salam said private television channels are currently facing severe financial risks, stressing the need for policy support and rapid digitalisation to save the industry.

Editor’s Council General Secretary Dewan Hanif Mahmud, National Press Club President Poet Hasan Hafiz and Independent Television Chief News Editor Mostafa Akmal, spoke among others on the occasion conducted by PIB Director General Faruk Wasif.

BSS Managing Director and Chief Editor Kamal Uddin Mozumder, Principal Information Officer Syed Abdal Ahmed and Managing Director of the Journalists Welfare Trust Mohammad Abdul Bashir and senior journalists were present.

Professor Dr SM Shamim Reza of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism at Dhaka University presented the keynote paper.