Ali Riaz said that a genuine commitment by politicians to uphold press freedom would amount to a major reform

National Consensus Commission Vice-Chairman Professor Ali Riaz today said that a genuine commitment by politicians to uphold press freedom would mark a significant reform.

He made the remarks while speaking at a view-exchange meeting on the draft report of the Mass Media Reform Commission at the Daily Star Bhaban.

Professor Riaz noted that politicians must take responsibility for having sustained authoritarian governance over the past sixteen years by exploiting journalism. He argued that truly independent and professional journalism cannot flourish under the current structure of media ownership.

“You have to decide whether you want to be shopkeepers or the fourth estate,” he told the gathering.

On press freedom, he stressed that political parties’ commitment to ensuring it would represent a far greater reform than merely signing the National Consensus Commission’s documents.

Regarding mass media reform, he said press freedom and the role of journalism as the fourth estate must be central considerations. He added that institutional and professional dimensions should also be addressed, urging journalists’ unions to actively demand workplace and professional security for media workers instead of relying solely on government action.