Let the media function freely

It is disheartening to see a supposedly democratic parliament enacting draconian laws such as the Digital Security Bill despite widespread protest from the citizens and civil society members. And it is frightening because of the huge impact that such laws generally have on our life and society. “A critical, independent and investigative-minded press is the lifeblood of any democracy. It is only a free press that can temper the appetite of any government to amass power at the expense of the citizen,” Nelson Mandela, in 1994, told an audience at the International Press Institute Congress.

We need to understand that laws like that are not only harmful for the journalists but also injurious to the interests of the general public. It's high time the government revised those laws to make them more people-friendly and attuned to the principles of the Constitution and allow the media to function independently.

Tabibul Islam, Dhanmandi