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Published : 08 May 2026, 01:51 PM
A two-day “Bangladesh Journalism Conference” has kicked off in Dhaka with the participation of journalism experts and journalists from 10 countries.
The event began at 9:00am on Friday at the Radisson Blu Water Garden hotel.
Researchers, teachers, development workers, and representatives of civil society are also attending.
Development organisation Media Resources Development Initiative (MRDI) organised the event to mark its 25th anniversary.
At the opening ceremony, MRDI Executive Director Hasibur Rahman Mukur said: “We wanted to hold this conference together with everyone. We did not want to remain alone.”
“We wanted everyone to be with us and become stakeholders. That is why we named it the ‘Bangladesh Journalism Conference’.”
Speaking about investigative journalism in the country, he said: “When we announced fellowships for 60 people, we received around 188 investigative reporting ideas. This proves that journalists in Bangladesh have the mindset, courage, and willingness to do investigative journalism.”
“So we need to ask why, despite such a large number, we do not see that many investigative reports in newspapers or on television.”
Referring to the risks and insecurity journalists face while performing their professional duties, TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said: “In many countries, people face security risks while carrying out their professional responsibilities.”
“But the way two leading media organisations in Bangladesh were attacked, and the then government remained silent showing irresponsibility, is alarming.”
On media freedom, Swedish Ambassador to Dhaka Nicolas Weeks said that in Sweden, where he comes from, public trust in the media is comparatively much higher. This demonstrates what strong institutional support for media freedom can achieve, he said.
When governments protect media freedom and society values transparency, trust naturally grows, the envoy said. Citizens feel confident that the information they receive is reliable, and this increases democratic participation.
At the conference, UNESCO Representative in Bangladesh Susan Vize said that over the last two years, they have seen many analyses regarding the media. There has been a Media Reform Commission, MRDI reports, and reports from the United Nations and UNESCO.
She said now, having a great deal of information, they have had many discussions, and a lot of training has taken place. Now is the “opportunity to analyse these more deeply, identify the problems, and move forward through solutions,” she said.
She added that the current government also indicated that it is open to discussion, meaning the “opportunity for change is now before us.”
Therefore, although Bangladesh’s past record on media freedom has not been very good, Susan believes this is a very important moment for the country’s future.
Among the conference guests are former Toronto Star editor Michael Cooke, investigative journalist Julian Sher, editor of Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper Zaffar Abbas, international media law expert Joan Barata, senior assistant sub-editor of Anandabazar Patrika Swati Banerjee, UNDP Bangladesh’s chief technical adviser for Electoral Support-Ballot Andrés Del Castillo Sánchez, Deputy Chair of the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) Laxman Dutta Pant, and Executive Director of the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) Emilia Díaz-Struck, who joined virtually.
A total of 12 sessions will be held during the two-day conference. These include plenary sessions, thematic sessions, masterclasses, and parallel tracks.
Special emphasis is being placed on investigative journalism, media self-regulation, digital newsroom transformation, gender equality, and journalists’ safety.
