Democracy will be sustainable only if the media is strong: Mirza Fakhrul

Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives, and Secretary General of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, stated that democracy will be sustainable if the media remains strong and objective. Speaking as the chief guest at a seminar titled “The Role of Media in Sustainable Democracy”—organized by the Television Editors Council at a hotel in the capital on Friday (August 7)—he urged journalists to present the truth impartially, noting that with no government pressure currently present, self-censorship should be avoided and respect for dissenting views remains the core foundation of democracy. At the same seminar, the Minister for Information and Broadcasting emphasized not using journalism to serve corporate interests, while other speakers underscored the need to establish an independent media commission to uphold professional standards.