Federation of Journalists of Bangladesh

Federation of Journalists of Bangladesh
Name	Federation of Journalists of Bangladesh
Founded	1971
Headquarters	Dhaka
Region served	Bangladesh
Leader title	President

Federation of Journalists of Bangladesh is a national collective of media professionals operating in Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Rangpur. It interacts with bodies such as the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (Bangladesh), the Press Council of Bangladesh, the Bangladesh National Parliament and international organizations including Reporters Without Borders, Committee to Protect Journalists, UNESCO and International Federation of Journalists. The federation engages with newsrooms tied to outlets like The Daily Star, Prothom Alo, The Daily Ittefaq, Bangladesh Pratidin and bdnews24.com.

History

The federation traces origins to the aftermath of the Bangladesh Liberation War when journalists from publications such as Dainik Bangla, The Pakistan Observer, Morning News and institutions like the Bangladesh Betar broadcast service sought collective representation. Early leaders included figures associated with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's era and contemporaries who had worked with M. A. G. Osmani and Ziaur Rahman-era politics. During the 1980s the federation interacted with tribunals and commissions influenced by events such as the Ershad regime and responded to crises related to the 1991 Bangladesh cyclone and national elections overseen by the Bangladesh Election Commission. Relations with media unions paralleled exchanges with regional bodies like the South Asian Free Media Association and events such as the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union conferences.

Organization and Structure

The federation is organized into executive, advisory and regional councils with roles comparable to committees found in the Dhaka Metropolitan Police liaison frameworks and administrative units resembling the Bangladesh Civil Service hierarchy. It maintains liaison desks aligned with institutions including the Bangladesh Bar Council for legal advocacy and the Supreme Court of Bangladesh for litigation support. Leadership elections follow procedures influenced by precedents from organizations like Bangladesh Trade Union Centre and involve delegates from chapters in Chittagong University, University of Dhaka media clubs and press wings of political formations such as Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

Membership and Affiliates

Members come from newspapers, television stations, radio and digital platforms including professionals linked to Bangladesh Television, Channel i, ATN Bangla, Ekushey Television and independent agencies connected with United News of Bangladesh. Affiliates include city reporters' associations in Khulna City Corporation, Chattogram City Corporation and Sylhet City Corporation, as well as student journalist groups at Rajshahi University and Jagannath University. The federation has articulation with trade bodies like the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce & Industries when media matters overlap with business reporting, and with international partners such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch on rights-related campaigns.

Activities and Campaigns

The federation organizes press conferences, solidarity rallies and joint statements alongside unions such as the Jatiya Press Club and professional bodies like the Bangladesh Photojournalists Association. It coordinates coverage standards referencing charters similar to those promoted by Reuters, Associated Press and Agence France-Presse, and runs campaigns during election cycles involving the Bangladesh Election Commission and international observers like the European Union Election Observation Mission. The federation has participated in disaster reporting coordination during events comparable to the Cyclone Sidr response and collaborated with humanitarian agencies such as the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

Advocacy and Press Freedom

Advocacy work includes legal interventions invoking statutes like the Access to Information Act (Bangladesh) in dialogues with the Information Commission (Bangladesh) and contesting actions tied to provisions similar to the Digital Security Act (Bangladesh). The federation submits reports to bodies such as UN Human Rights Council sessions and has engaged with delegations from United States Department of State human rights offices, as well as missions from the British High Commission in Dhaka and the European Union Delegation to Bangladesh. It has issued joint appeals with South Asia Centre for Legal Studies and filed complaints to international entities including the International Labour Organization when journalists' labor rights were implicated.

Training and Professional Development

Training programs have been held in partnership with institutions like BRAC University, North South University, Institute of Business Administration, University of Dhaka and development partners such as USAID, DFID and JICA. Workshops cover topics promoted by organizations like Internews, Thomson Reuters Foundation and the Center for International Media Assistance, and include modules on investigative techniques used by practitioners at Al Jazeera, BBC Bengali Service, CNN and The Guardian. Fellowships and exchanges have connected members with programs at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Oxford University Reuters Institute, Harvard Kennedy School and regional training at Asian College of Journalism.

Controversies and Criticisms

The federation has faced criticism from rival journalist organizations such as Bangladesh Journalists Union and political groups including Jatiya Party factions over allegations of partisanship during coverage of events like national elections involving Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia. Critics have invoked incidents related to detentions reminiscent of high-profile cases involving figures from Dhaka Reporters Unity and disputes over accreditation at state events linked to the President of Bangladesh office. Debates have involved interactions with media owners connected to conglomerates like BEXIMCO Group and corporate actors such as Transcom Group and have prompted scrutiny by civil society groups including Transparency International Bangladesh and Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust.

Category:Journalism organizations in Bangladesh