The Government’s initiative to establish an independent Media Commission is an encouraging step toward building a stronger, more independent and responsible news media landscape in Bangladesh.

However, its effective implementation and broader acceptance depend on inclusive consultation and meaningful participation of all relevant stakeholders.

Industry stakeholders came up with this observation while addressing an inclusive stakeholder consultation on "Media Commission: Expectations from the Government" jointly organised by Media Resources Development Initiative (MRDI) and Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) on Saturday to gather stakeholders’ opinion on how the Independent Media Commission should be looked like and where the stakeholders could contribute to make it an effective one.

Participants shared concrete recommendations on strengthening news media freedom, ensuring journalists’ rights, and promoting effective self-regulation and newsroom accountability through a more uniform and structured accountability framework.

Key discussions also focused on how a future Media Commission can balance independence with responsibility while restoring public trust in news media.

Former members of the Media Reform Commission, news media owners, editors from Dhaka and outside Dhaka, legal experts, journalism teachers, leaders of journalists’ organizations, and representatives of media development organizations took part in the consultation.

The programme was organized under the project “Supporting Media During Transition Period in Bangladesh” in partnership with International Media Support (IMS), Denmark.