Country’s development not possible sans independent journalism: A. K. Azad

A. K. Azad, President of the Newspaper Owners' Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) and Managing Director of the Ha-Meem Group, said that independent journalism is essential for a country's progress.

He asserted that without independent journalism, national development is very difficult.

He expressed these views during a media conference held on Saturday morning at the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB) auditorium in Dhaka. 

The event was jointly organised by NOAB and the Editors' Council.

The gathering featured a documentary highlighting government interference in the media. In it, A.K. Azad pointed out that authorities can easily shut down electronic media channels at any moment. 

However, print media cannot be "switched off" in the same way, so governments resort to indirect pressures. These include reducing government advertisements through the Ministry of Information, exerting influence to discourage private companies from placing ads, and deploying intelligence agencies to control which stories are published and which are suppressed.

He argued that such tactics make genuine independent journalism impossible. Without the ability to practice independent journalism, he concluded, the country's overall development is also hindered.

The conference was convened to strongly protest organised attacks on freedom of expression, democratic principles, and media independence. 

It aimed to demonstrate a unified stance in support of bold, responsible, and independent journalism. Over a thousand media professionals and workers from across Bangladesh attended the event.