Press Council seeks wider powers over news organisations

From 15 October 2026 — Daily Brief

The Bangladesh Press Council has asked parliament for authority to initiate investigations on its own and impose financial penalties in cases involving allegedly false, unethical or harmful reporting.

Its proposals would extend jurisdiction to online news portals, create a registration and certification system for journalists and give the council tribunal-like powers over professional misconduct. The body also suggested setting clearer qualification requirements for newspaper editors.

The recommendations were presented to the parliamentary standing committee on information and broadcasting. They cover reports deemed harmful to national integrity, sovereignty, public taste or the public interest, as well as rumours, hate speech and violations of journalistic ethics.

Media figures have questioned the breadth of those standards. Terms such as public interest or public taste can be interpreted expansively, creating uncertainty over legitimate scrutiny of government and powerful institutions.

The council already holds some civil-court-style inquiry powers but cannot compel journalists to disclose sources. Any enlargement of its authority would require precise definitions, an independent appointment process, transparent hearings and a reliable route of appeal. Without those protections, an institution presented as a professional regulator could become a channel for political or commercial pressure on reporting.