Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam yesterday said steps must be taken to ensure that no one can directly interfere with the media in the future like it was done during the ousted Sheikh Hasina government.

He said, "Over the past 15 years, intelligence agencies also played a role in silencing newspapers. Journalists would lose their jobs if they received certain phone calls, and news reports had to be removed..."

Shafiqul Alam made these remarks at a discussion titled "Media Reform Proposals: Citizens' Perspectives".

The event was organised by a group named "We Want a Fascism-Free Media" at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity in the capital's Segunbagicha.

Shafiqul said, "The previous government had the capability to control the media. A single phone call from DGFI, NSI, DB, or a minister was enough. I have heard many stories about how they controlled the media."

Advising to compile writings by columnists who defended fascist rule, he said, "Do not spread hatred against anyone. Punishing someone is not our objective. Conduct research; we aim to expose those who crafted the narratives."

Shafiqul said the previous government even justified murder as acceptable through its narratives. He emphasised the need for collective efforts to prevent the seeds of fascism from being sown again in Bangladesh.

He also said, "Ensuring the application of copyright law is crucial. All journalists must speak out strongly on this issue."

"You spend two months working on a report, and in just one minute, another news outlet -- or even a hundred outlets -- steals it. You take a great photo, and a major newspaper publishes it without permission. If you produce a quality report, a hundred outlets steal it. Those who engage in such theft should be shut down."

Akbar Hossain Majumder, press minister at the Bangladesh High Commission in the UK; Plabon Tariq, the group's spokesperson; Uttara University teacher Mahbub Alam, and lawyer Mollah Md Faruque Kaiser also spoke at the event.

Joynal Abedin Shishir, convener of the group, moderated the discussion.

The event concluded with the presentation of 13 proposals aimed at reforming the media.