Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan has emphasized the need to build an accountable and institutional framework for managing the media sector, moving beyond a control-oriented approach. He made the remarks on Sunday during a meeting at the Secretariat with leaders of the Television Editors Council, which includes editors and news heads of private television channels. The minister highlighted the importance of forming an independent, efficient, and credible media commission.

Swapan noted that Bangladesh’s media management has long suffered from a conceptual gap, with a lack of coordinated thinking among owners, entrepreneurs, journalists, and the government. This has led to the sector being influenced by personal power and investment interests. He said the government is both a stakeholder and a regulator, and must ensure equal opportunity for all parties.

The minister further stated that past governments viewed media mainly through a lens of control, resulting in irregularities and misuse. He proposed establishing a quasi-judicial commission to ensure media freedom and accountability, cautioning that it must not become a political instrument of any government.