World Press Freedom Index has placed Bangladesh in 152 this year. A total of 180 countries were still as always. Following Honduras, Bangladesh has secured its position with a score of 49.71 just before Turkey. Reporters Without Border – which is also known as Reporters sans frontières (RSF) – has ensured it on their web homepage on the last 20th April 2021. They mentioned the word “Tougher politics” while showing the reason for it. Besides, they added the consequences of the covid-19 pandemic. RSF also pointed the police and civilian violence against reporters. Thus, journalism got completely blocked or seriously impeded in 73 countries. It is just as devastating as coronavirus. World Press Freedom Index at a glance The Press Freedom Index is a yearly list for ranking of countries based on the freedom of journalism. An international non-Government organization named Reporters Without Border,  shortly RSF, compile and publish the list. Since 2002, they have been releasing the list intending to safeguard the right to freedom of information. They mainly rank 180 countries based on the freedom of journalism. Read Why press freedom matters Survey Questionnaire RSF develops the index through a survey of 87 questionnaires following the 7 general criteria. 1.      Pluralism (Opinions in the media space) 2.      Media independence 3.      environment and self-censorship 4.      legislative framework 5.      Transparency 6.      Infrastructure 7.      Abuses Read Prothom Alo senior reporter Rozina arrested under Official Secrets Act The survey questionnaire focuses on the legal framework for the media including- ➢        the consequences for press offenses ➢        the way Government regulates the media ➢        the extent of independence of the public media ➢        uninterruptible information flow over the Internet Read Rozina Islam: Journalism Vs the Colonial hangover of official secrecy Survey Respondents The survey respondents are the RSF’s partner organizations. They are 150 correspondents of 18 freedom of expression non-government organizations in five continents. A remarkable number of journalists, researchers, jurists, and human rights activists around the world also participate in this survey. Scoring RSF staffs monitor both the victims and the assailants of the press offenses to evaluate the final score. The victims are the journalists, netizens, and media assistants, while the violence may come from the state, armed militias, clandestine organizations, or pressure groups. RSF send the survey questionnaire translated into 20 languages to the corresponding countries. They assign a score on each country based on the answers given. Read: Top Bookstore Cafés in Dhaka: 6 Places Bringing Back the Joy of Reading 0 point is for the best while 100 points is for the worst. Accordingly, RSF has a colorful scoring map categorizing the press freedom status of countries. ➔        0                to         15:           Good                (White) ➔        15.01         to         25:           Satisfactory     (Yellow) ➔        25.01         to         35:           Problematic    (Orange) ➔        35.01         to         55:           Difficult           (Red) ➔        55.01         to         100:           Very Serious    (Black) Read Freedom of speech threatened in the name of Digital Security: TIB World Press Freedom Index 2021 Toppers 1. Norway: Score → 6.72 2. Finland:  Score → 6.99 3. Sweden: Score → 7.24 4. Denmark: Score → 8.57 5. Costa Rica: Score → 8.76 6. Netherlands: Score → 9.67 7. Jamaica:  Score → 9.96 8. New Zealand: Score → 10.04 9. Portugal: Score → 10.11 10. Switzerland: Score → 10.55 Read Freedom of speech must not be undermined with false propaganda: PM Underneath World Press Freedom Index 2021 1. Eritrea: Score → 81.45 2. North Korea: Score → 81.28 3. Turkmenistan: Score → 80.03 4. China: Score → 78.72 5. Djibouti: Score → 78.62 6. Vietnam: Score → 78.46 7. Iran: Score → 72.70 8. Syria: Score → 70.63 9. Laos: Score → 70.56 10. Cuba: Score → 63.94 Read World Press Freedom Index: Bangladesh slips one place to 151st Bangladesh’s Whereabouts in World Press Freedom Index The number 152 in the crowd of 180 with a score of 49.71 basically represents the level of freedom available for Bangladeshi journalists. In the last 10 years, Bangladesh’s scenario is as follows: 1.      2011          Ranking 112                Score → 54 2.      2012          Ranking 129                Score → 57 3.      2013          Ranking 144                Score → 42.01 4.      2014          Ranking 146                Score → 42.58 5.      2015          Ranking 146                Score → 42.95 6.      2016          Ranking 144                Score   → 45.94 7.      2017          Ranking 146                Score   → 48.36 8.      2018          Ranking 146                Score   → 48.62 9.      2019          Ranking 150                Score   → 50.74 10.  2020          Ranking 151                Score   → 49.37  Last year, the coronavirus disaster and accompanying lockdown led to an alarming growth in police and civilian violence towards newshounds. Some journalists, bloggers, and cartoonists had been additionally arrested and prosecuted for his or her reporting of the pandemic and its effect on society. Under the Digital Security Act 2018 “bad propaganda” is punishable via way of means of up to fourteen years in prison. As a result, self-censorship has reached unparalleled ranges due to the fact editors are justifiably reluctant to hazard imprisonment or their media outlet’s closure. Read: Watchdog: Media freedom has deteriorated during pandemic However, despite this violence, there is also a length of speedy improvement for Bangladesh’s media marketplace, with many retailers taking part in each profitability and affect an increasing marketplace. Over the beyond decade, big privately-owned Bangladeshi agencies have moved into the marketplace and lots of the countrywide media is now inside the palms of the most important company organizations inside the country. Final words Regardless of World Press Freedom Index criticism, the circulation of information demands unconditional independence. However, it is needless to say that professional reporting requires minimum ethics. Otherwise, the knowledge may go beyond authenticity. A journalist must handle the power given to him carefully. Similarly, every government and non-government entity should cooperate with them spontaneously. And that is when the general people can expect the truth. Read Future of journalism depends on adaptation, professionalism: Dr Arefin 

Prime Minister's ICT Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy has said everyone has the right to freedom of speech, but that freedom ends when someone spreads falsehoods that end up hurting others. 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday asked all concerned to highlight the facts of any incident alongside protesting the spread of rumours and false propaganda in the name of freedom of speech. "Spreading false propaganda is not freedom of speech…there should be immediate protests against any false propaganda….people must know the  facts. Sitting silent will not help," she said. The Prime Minister said this while speaking in the beginning of the regular weekly meeting of the cabinet at Bangladesh Secretariat. The Prime Minister chaired the meeting joining it from her official residence Ganobhaban through videoconferencing. “There might be some pain in telling the truth of any incident, but ultimately it’ll surely work and that’s the reality,” Hasina said, adding that a vested quarter is accustomed to making ill-efforts to cause harm to people and the government of Bangladesh. Calling upon all to remain aware about that quarter, she said concerned all need to highlight truth and facts. “A section of people is trying to spread rumours to undermine the government’s image, but they can never succeed in fulfilling their ill motives.” She went on saying, "The area where there’s a scope to create anarchy is freedom of speech? Nabbing those delivering speech for creating conflicts is snatching the freedom of speech? This is not correct." She said it cannot be accepted in this era of digital media that one would write and publish whatever he or she wants in the name of freedom of speech. "In social media, anyone can say whatever he/she likes…one can spread false propaganda, when the government takes any step against those then the vested quarters makes hue and cry and spreads various arguments across the globe ," she said. Hasina said people usually do not look into the matter why the step has been taken! On the other hand, she mentioned, it was also essential for the authorities concerned to provide facts and information with necessary explanations. In this regard, the Prime Minister said the mentality of taking a defensive stance without giving appropriate information is not a good practice at all.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on Saturday alleged that the people’s constitutional right of freedom of speech has been threatened in the name of digital security in the country.   In a press release, TIB expressed deep concern over some recent incidents of arrests of writers, journalists and other professionals who criticised various irregularities.     TIB demanded unconditional release of the arrested people and urged the government to secure people’s constitutional right of freedom of speech.   Iftekharuzzaman, Executive Director of TIB, said that according to media reports, many cases were filed against journalist, teacher, writer, cartoonist, social activists and even health workers. Many were sacked and were arrested as they criticised some recent issues of irregularities.   “I want to insist the authorities concern… please respond to the criticism with your work and take the incidents of irregularities seriously to control them,” he said.   “Don’t walk on the path of autocracy by controlling and restricting the different opinions,” he said.   Referring to the recent incident of missing journalist Shafiqul Islam who was sued for illegal trespassing, Iftekharuzzaman said such incidents go against the announcement of ‘Zero Tolerance’ against corruption by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.   Quoting media reports, TIB disclosed that 180 journalists were sued from the beginning of 2018 to June 2019.   After coronavirus outbreak, 67 cases were filed under the Digital Security Act. Among them, 37 were filed against journalists, the organisation said.   Besides, on charge of spreading rumours on social media, 88 people including cartoonist and journalists were arrested.   TIB believes that such arrests and repression violate the rule of law, the release said.