Media Resources Development Initiative

Bangladesh Journalism Conference 2026 | Day 02

Closing session
The concluding session looks back on the two days with brief remarks on key highlights and takeaways.

Wrapping up two days of intense conversations, organisers will also provide a preview of upcoming initiatives and the road ahead for investigative journalism, press freedom and media reform in Bangladesh.

Vote of thanks: Hasibur Rahman, Executive Director, Media Resources Development Initiative (MRDI)

Bangladesh Journalism Conference 2026 | Day 02

Politico-Governance Ecosystem and Free Media
This plenary will critically examine the political and governance landscape that determines the boundaries of press freedom in Bangladesh. Rather than viewing journalism in a vacuum, the speakers will analyse the complex interplay of state institutions and the press to understand how specific laws and regulations either serve as catalysts for free media or as instruments of constraint.

The discussion will tackle the delicate balance between necessary state oversight and the fundamental right to a free press to play its role to meet aspirations of democracy and accountable governance.

Moderator: Shakhawat Liton, Executive Editor, The Business Standard
Key Speaker: Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, Executive Director, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB)

Speakers:
> Zaffar Abbas, Editor, Dawn
> Kamal Ahmed, Consulting Editor, The Daily Star
> Shakeel Anwar, former journalist, BBC
> Shahed Muhammad Ali, Editor, Daily Samakal