IMS launches comprehensive media support programme in Bangladesh

The programme was inaugurated on Wednesday, 4 March, at an event held at the Brac Centre, attended by senior journalists, delegations from UN organisations and diplomatic corps, media development organisations, academics and other stakeholders.

With the support from the Danish Embassy in Dhaka, IMS, the Copenhagen-based organisation, has partnered with the Media Resources Development Initiative (MRDI), Digitally Right, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) and Voices for Interactive Choice and Empowerment (VOICE), to run the two-year programme.

Media reform

These partners will collaborate with media stakeholders and relevant government departments to implement the proposed Mass Media Commission and the Journalism Rights Protection Ordinance, as recommended by the Media Reform Commission. Media self-regulation is also a key priority under the project’s reform tracks.

Comprehensive safety mechanism

Under the safety track, IMS and its partners have introduced seven safety mechanisms covering digital, physical, legal, psychosocial and institutional security in Bangladesh. IMS has also established the Bangladesh Journalists’ Safety Fund (BJSF) to support media professionals facing threats due to their work. Any journalist in distress can seek support from the BJSF; an independent quick response support (QRS) team will then verify the case and determine the appropriate modality of assistance based on actual needs.

Emerging media support

Under the emerging independent media track, IMS will extend support to build capacity in public interest journalism, media viability, and national alliance building.

In his welcome speech, Lars H. Bestle, Regional Director for Asia, stated: “If reform is pursued thoughtfully, if safety is prioritised systematically and if independent media is supported strategically, this period can become one of renewal and strengthening”

Speaking at the event, Danish Ambassador Christian Brix Møller said: “Denmark is a global leader in media freedom, with strong constitutional protections. We consistently rank in the top three of the World Press Freedom Index. This likely correlates with the fact that Denmark has also ranked top in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index for the past eight years.

“Denmark enjoys high public trust, a robust public service tradition and independent, non-profit foundation ownership of private media. We hope that media freedom is sufficiently prioritised by the newly elected government in Bangladesh. As Bangladesh enters a new period in its history, you have a unique opportunity to shape the path. I appreciated a phrase in an editorial of one of the main newspapers a few days ago: that the future of Bangladesh depends on transparency, and transparency depends on a free press,” he added.

IMS Bangladesh Programme Manager Shakawat Hossain articulated the three distinct tracks of the programme. He noted: “A consortium has been formed with three organisations headquartered in Denmark – Dignity, the Danish Institute of Human Rights (DIHR), and IMS – to implement this full-phased programme. Each organisation is independently implementing its respective portion of the project, with IMS primarily working with media stakeholders in Bangladesh.”

Norwegian Ambassador Håkon Arald Gulbrandsen, UNESCO Country Representative Dr Susan Vize, GFA Consulting Group Director Dr Adi Walker, former Media Reform Commission chief and consulting editor of the Daily Star Kamal Ahmed, IMS Asia Regional Adviser Ranga Kalansooriya,  MRDI Executive Director Hasibur Rahman, VOICE Executive Director Ahmed Swapan Mahmud, and Digitally Right Managing Director Miraj Ahmed Chowdhury, Dignity Bangladesh Project Manager Ashrafull Anwar Rosen, DIHR Consultant Ibrahim Ahmed were among the other speakers at the event.

For more information, contact:

Shakawat Hossain
Programme Manager for Bangladesh, IMS
01710201988