The University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) organised the discussion to mark the World Press Freedom Day, which will be observed in the country as elsewhere across the world today.

Restriction on access to information, official secrets act, government control over public advertisements, criminal liability of defamation and contempt of court are five major obstacles to press freedom, said Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, editor of The Bangladesh Observer.

"The state does not let the press enjoy freedom fully, but it is the journalists who try to assert the freedom of the press," he added.

Ataus Samad, advisory editor of the Amar Desh, said the journalists are falling victim not only to political interests but also to the conflicts of business interests.

Hasan Sharier, executive editor of the Ittefaq, said that criminal liability in the name of defamation is a major impediment to press freedom.

Contempt of court is one of the legal instruments that often go against a free press, said Barrister Amir-Ul-Islam.

People have every right to know about qualifications of any judge, he said.

Reazuddin Ahmed, president of the National Press Club, Farid Hossain, AP bureau chief, Nayeemul Islam Khan, editor of the Amader Samay, Kamrul Hasan Manju of Massline Media Centre and ULAB Vice Chancellor Kazi Shahid Ahmed also spoke at the roundtable chaired by Prof Sakhawat Ali Khan of ULAB.