Media reforms have fallen short of expectations, says Nahid

He says the practice of media control once exercised by the DGFI still persist

Nahid Islam, the convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP), says the media landscape has not seen the expected reforms after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in the face of a mass uprising.

The former information advisor spoke to reporters on Thursday after testifying at the International Crimes Tribunal against Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan and ex-police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who are accused of crimes against humanity committed during the movement.

Nahid began his testimony on Wednesday before the three-member Tribunal-1, headed by Justice Md Golam Mortoza Mozumder.

His deposition concluded at 12:45pm on Thursday.

During Wednesday’s session, he said that at one stage of the protests, it became clear that the electronic media was under the government’s control.

Asked about that remark the following day, he said: “The media had different roles at different stages of the movement. I mentioned the 18th or 19th (of July 2024). At different times, newspapers and several electronic media outlets tried to take a stand in favour of the movement; many journalists as well. As a result, there was a stand in favour of fascism, as well as against it.”

He added, “But according to the expectations we had in the media, although I was also in charge, the media reform has not been carried out and I think the media is still controlled.”

Nahid said that the practices of control once exercised by the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) still persist.

“There is influence from political parties, there is influence from several corporate institutions,” he said.

He noted that while serving as advisor, he had initiated a media reform effort and tasked the reform commission with proposing changes and implementing them through the government.

He said a committee was also formed to review cases filed by his ministry against journalists and to make recommendations to the law ministry.

Those recommendations were made, he said, but their implementation depended on the law and home ministries.

Media workers who supported what he described as fascism, he added, should also face justice.

Nahid was appointed information advisor during the formation of the interim government, but later resigned.

He went on to form the NCP and assumed the role of convener.

He testified as the 47th witness in the crimes against humanity case before the tribunal.