Ali Riaz, Vice-Chairman of the National Consensus Commission, has said that political leaders’ pledge to guarantee press freedom would be the greatest reform in Bangladesh’s democracy.
Speaking at the Daily Star office, he urged journalists to continue fighting for their rights and not wait for government intervention. He criticized media owners, saying they exploit journalists knowing there will be little protest.
Riaz further argued that the press had been instrumental in sustaining what he termed a “fascist regime” for the past 16 years, and that accountability must be demanded. “A shopkeeper cannot be the fourth estate,” he remarked, underscoring the need for genuine institutional independence.