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Published : 05 Jul 2025, 08:43 PM
The interim government has refrained from even the slightest interference in media freedom, in stark contrast to the Awami League administration, Chief Advisor’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam has said.
Speaking at a discussion titled “Reviewing the Media Reform Report” in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar on Saturday, he drew a sharp contrast between the current approach and what he described as a restrictive media environment under the previous government.
“In the past, a deputy press secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office acted like a monster. Nothing could be published without his approval. We don’t intend to repeat that,” he added.
According to him, the current administration wants to see media freedom become institutional, not dependent on individuals in power.
Shafiqul said there had been no administrative, legal, or intelligence-based interference under the interim setup.
As part of that shift, intelligence and secret agencies were reportedly instructed not to contact any journalist or media house.
“No agency should make a single phone call to the media -- that’s been clearly conveyed,” he said.
He pointed to freedom of expression as one area where a fundamental change has occurred.
Referring to the Digital Security Act (DSA), Shafiqul called it a tool used to “suppress” voices, with over 7,000 cases filed.
“It was like a sword hanging over our heads.”
Under the previous administration, he claimed, people often were unable to speak in the mainstream media.
Social platforms like Facebook and YouTube became the only places to speak -- until those, too, were used to control speech.
That was the motivation behind laws like the DSA and the later Cyber Security Act, he noted.
“One of the first things we did was scrap the Digital Security Act,” he said.
The ordinance replacing it, he added, was prepared in consultation with every major group.
“Everyone had the chance to offer input,” the press aide said. “We don’t think anyone can credibly claim the new law restricts freedom of speech.
“But this issue wasn’t just about legislation -- there were many other ways voices were shut down.”
He accused the former Awami League government of creating a “culture of fear” using intelligence agencies like the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI).
“People were silenced through intimidation. That system has been dismantled,” he claimed.
Shafiqul urged journalists to report if they face threats or pressure. “Let us know. Don’t assume silence now means silence forever. We want you to be vocal.”
As a former journalist himself, he said the caretaker administration has systems to address misinformation, but not through threats.
“If a story is wrong or misleading, we’ll say so. That’s the process.”
Before taking up his current post, Shafiqul served as the Agence France-Presse (AFP) bureau chief in Dhaka for two decades.
Earlier, he worked at The Financial Express for two and a half years and at The Bangladesh Observer for seven and a half years.
Reflecting on the past decade and a half, he said media outlets had “failed” during Sheikh Hasina’s rule.
“Now, people are asking how that failure will be addressed. That’s where the debate lies.”
He added that recent protests are often dismissed as mob action, but those who suffered over the last 15 and a half years have a right to speak out.
“When the system fails again, the old memories return -- and so does resistance.”
