UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Gwyn Lewis on Sunday a responsible and credible media hold all parties to account, and provides solid and reliable information to citizens and voters of a country.
She said article 39 of the Constitution of Bangladesh guarantees freedom of expression and opinion as well as freedom of media.
“Today’s discussion is particularly timely given the political events over the past days and the important role that the media has in representing the many different views across the country,” she said while speaking at a roundtable discussion on media freedom and human rights with the participation of over seventeen prominent national media outlets as well as some prominent civil society organizations.
UN Resident Coordinator Office in Bangladesh hosted the roundtable to mark International Human Rights Day. Journalists talked about their experiences and the issues faced when reporting in the country.
Commenting on the implementation of media freedom commitments, Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said the protection of human rights benefits and strengthens democratic society based on debate, discussion and the rule of law. Media freedom is essential.
Among the participants of the roundtable were Ambassador of Switzerland Natalie Chuard and Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Bangladesh Dr Bernd Spanier, who gave an overview of the media landscape in the EU and highlighted the importance of independent media to hold governments and businesses to account.
“Free press is vital to any society. It is not only a stimulating debate but also keeps us all honest. It is strengthening democracy,” said the Swiss Ambassador.
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During the roundtable discussions, participants discussed the challenges of reporting on human rights issues and developments in media.
The role of United Nations in bringing stakeholders together was much appreciated by participants.