Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam has said that the interim government is fully committed to protecting press freedom and will not tolerate any attacks on the media.
Shafiqul Alam made the statement during a media briefing at the Foreign Service Academy on Thursday, addressing concerns raised by the Editors' Council about threats to press freedom in the country.
"We won't tolerate any attacks on any newspaper. We are 100 percent committed to media freedom," Shafiqul Alam stated.
He clarified that the interim government, or any of its agencies, has not made a single call to influence news reports. "There is no instance of interference," he said, adding that in cases where mistakes are noticed, they only politely ask journalists to review their reports.
Shafiqul Alam reflected on past incidents affecting media freedom over the last 15 years and asserted that the interim government has not shut down any newspaper, TV station, or online platform. He was joined at the briefing by Deputy Press Secretaries Apurba Jahangir and Abul Kalam Azad Majumder.
The Editors' Council recently expressed concerns about the state of press freedom, noting that some leading print media offices had faced threats of assault and siege. In a press release, Council President Mahfuz Anam and General Secretary Dewan Hanif Mahmud stated that attacks on media freedom continue despite the interim government’s assurances to protect it.
Responding to a question about the Editors' Council's concerns, Deputy Press Secretary Azad acknowledged the council's statement and emphasised that the government is taking the matter seriously. "We are committed to taking necessary action if anyone encounters issues related to press freedom," Azad stated.
