Shafiq Rehman Elected President of National Editors Council, Mahmudur Rahman General Secretary
DHAKA:
The appointments were made at the NEC’s first general meeting, held on Monday at a hotel in the capital, where editors representing 29 daily newspapers from Dhaka and different parts of Bangladesh took part.
Shafiqul Alam, editor of Wada, was elected treasurer. The meeting also approved the council’s proposed constitution after incorporating several amendments.
The newly formed organisation said its primary focus would include protecting press freedom, strengthening professional journalism and creating greater cooperation and communication among newspaper editors across the country.
Speaking at the meeting, General Secretary Mahmudur Rahman said the NEC should gradually expand its membership and bring more editors and newspapers under a common platform.
He stressed the importance of closer communication among journalists and said editors needed to remain united to safeguard independent journalism.
Mahmudur Rahman also called for a period of introspection within the media industry, arguing that sections of the press had previously compromised their professional responsibilities through close relations with governments in power.
He urged journalists to maintain an independent position and uphold professional integrity rather than allowing political or other forms of influence to shape their work.
Abdul Hai Shikdar, editor of Jugantor, criticised what he described as serious deterioration in the country’s media environment over the past 17 years.
He said journalism had been affected by political polarisation and a culture in which media outlets too often praised those in power instead of holding them accountable.
Shikdar called for a stronger culture of questioning and scrutiny, saying the media should return to its fundamental responsibility of presenting facts and asking difficult questions.
He also highlighted the contribution of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam to journalism and proposed introducing an annual Kazi Nazrul Islam Award to recognise outstanding contributions to journalism.
The proposal was accepted at the meeting, and the NEC decided to confer the award every year.
Osman Gani Mansur, editor of People’s View, also described the previous period as a difficult chapter for Bangladeshi journalism. He said political affiliations, incentives and various forms of inducement had undermined the independence and credibility of the profession.
He called on the NEC to play an effective role in restoring professional standards and public confidence in the media.
Shafiqul Alam, editor of Wada and the newly elected treasurer, said the political transition in Bangladesh had highlighted the need for a broad platform where newspaper editors could work together to defend press freedom and freedom of expression.
He said the NEC should strive to become a national platform representing the voices of editors from different parts of the country.
In his presidential address, Shafiq Rehman said journalists have an important responsibility in maintaining peace and stability and supporting democratic development.
He called for editors and journalists to remain united and work collectively to strengthen democratic institutions and professional journalism.
Rehman also sought cooperation from editors across Bangladesh to build a strong nationwide network under the NEC.
Among those attending and contributing to the meeting were Salahuddin Muhammad Babar, editor of Naya Diganta; Maruf Kamal Khan, editor of Protidiner Bangladesh; Mokarram Hossain, editor of The New Nation; Loton Ekram, editor of Bangladesh Pratidin; Shahidul Islam, editor of Manobkantha; Sheikh Nazrul Islam, editor of Khobor Sangjog; Syed Mezbah Uddin of Bangladesher Khabor; K.M. Belayet Hossain, editor of Bhorer Dak; Obaidur Rahman Shaheen, editor of Janata; and Sadrul Hasan, editor of The Bangladesh Post.
Other participants included Gias Uddin of Banijjo Protidin, Monir Hossain of Khola Kagoj, Sayem Faruqi of Rupali Bangladesh, Sheikh Muhammad Arif of Bhorer Bangla, Dr Mahbubur Rahman of The Global Post, Shamsul Haque Durrani of Nawroz, Afsar Uddin Chowdhury of Karnaphuli, and Shantunu Islam of Dainik Lokosamaj.
Editors from other regions also attended, including Sohel Mahbub of Notun Probhat in Rajshahi, Saiful Islam of Dainik Newtimes in Mymensingh, Muktabis-un-Nur of Dainik Jalalabad in Sylhet, Morsalin Babla of Yuger Chinta in Narayanganj, Md Ashraf of Dainik Purbha in Khulna, and Azad Alauddin of Bangladesh Bani in Barishal.
The first general meeting marked the formal beginning of the NEC’s organisational activities. Participants emphasised the need to strengthen press freedom, improve professional standards, encourage editorial independence and establish stronger cooperation among newspapers and editors across Bangladesh.
The council said it hopes to bring editors from different regions under a common national platform and contribute to a more independent, professional and accountable media environment.
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