End-to-end automation must be introduced in services of all public institutions, particularly police stations, registry offices, revenue offices, passport offices, as well as relevant institutions in sectors like education, health, local government, district and sub-district administrations and utility providers. Year: 2025 Domain: Anti Corruption Institutional Independence and Oversight Status: Reform Initiated Last Update: 14-Dec-25
Ensure transparency and integrity in political and electoral financing through necessary reforms to electoral laws: * Political parties and election candidates must make details of their funding and income-expenditure publicly accessible. * The Election Commission should, with the assistance of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and the ACC verify the completeness and accuracy of income and wealth information provided under candidates’ affidavits and take appropriate actions, where necessary. * All public representatives of all levels must submit detailed income and asset statements of themselves and their family members to the Election Commission within three months of taking office and update annually. The Election Commission must publish these declarations on its website. * Political parties must refrain from granting party positions or nominations for elections to individuals involved in corruption or irregularities. Year: 2025 Domain: Anti Corruption Digital Transformation Status: Reform Initiated
All laws related to criminal defamation, such as Sections 499, 500, 501, and 502 of the Bangladesh Penal Code of 1860, and Section 29 of the Cyber Security Act of 2023, should be repealed. Along with that, a system can be introduced to entrust the regulatory body, the proposed Media Commission, with offenses related to defamation involving journalists. The power given to the government to forfeit newspapers under Sections 99A and 99B of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, is contrary to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Therefore, it should be repealed. Year: 2025 Domain: Freedom of Journalism Media Status: Reform Proposed Last Update: 14-Dec-25
The Mass Media Reforms Commission has attached a draft ordinance for a Journalism Protection Act to this report, based on a few examples of best practices worldwide. It proposes taking steps to issue it quickly. Furthermore, it deems the following steps appropriate regarding the incidents of misuse of various laws over the past 15 years: a. Cases filed against journalists under various applicable laws, including the Penal Code, Information and Communication Technology Act, Digital Security Act, Cyber Security Act, and Contempt of Court Act, must be identified and reviewed. Based on the information obtained after the review, the concerned government prosecutor must take appropriate steps to withdraw the cases or have the police submit the final report. b. If evidence of false cases is found upon review, legal and just action must be taken against the concerned authorities. c. Arrangements must be made to compensate affected journalists and their families. d. Affected media organisations must be provided with reasonable compensation. e. Incidents of illegal intrusion, surveillance, and eavesdropping into journalists’ communications and lives must be investigated, and arrangements must be made to punish the culprits. Year: 2025 Domain: Journalism Protection Act Media Status: Reform Initiated Last Update: 14-Dec-25
The Bangladesh Media Commission can be formed by combining the currently active Bangladesh Press Council for newspapers and news agencies, and the Broadcast Commission proposed by the previous government for broadcast media and online platforms. This institution must be established as an independent body, free from government control. Media institutions may finance the expenses of this organisation by determining a fixed-rate contribution from their income. As a media regulatory body, the responsibilities that the Bangladesh Media Commission will perform include: a. Determining the qualifications and disqualifications of publishers and editors so that persons convicted of criminal offences and loan defaulters cannot become media owners/editors. b. Determining the minimum educational qualification for journalism. c. Journalists working across the country will be registered with the Media Commission, and the Commission will maintain a list of them. d. It will formulate a code of conduct for journalists and ensure its compliance. e. It will recommend the issuance of licenses for broadcast media (TV and radio) and online portals and ensure compliance with the conditions of those licenses. f. Providing remedies for complaints by individuals, institutions, or groups harmed by false or deliberately motivated news. If this is possible, it will achieve an important advancement in establishing institutional accountability of the media, and the media will be able to earn public trust. Year: 2025 Domain: Bangladesh Mass Media Commission Media Status: Reform Initiated Last Update: 14-Dec-25
The advance tax levied on the honorariums of media columnists, contributors, artists, and guest presenters/discussants is equivalent to taxing creativity. This advance tax should be abolished. Year: 2025 Domain: Media Media Ownership Status: Reform Proposed Last Update: 14-Dec-25
The Commission to organise ‘candidate forums’ involving voter-candidate face-to-face events in each constituency to foster engagement between voters and candidates. Year: 2025 Domain: Electoral Process Responsibilities of the Election Commission Status: Reform Proposed Last Update: 14-Dec-25
If a contesting political party is aggrieved by the Commission’s certification of an election to be free, fair and credible, it will have 48 hours to lodge a complaint with the National Constitutional Council (NCC) or the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. The Council or the Court to settle the complaint within 7 working days. Year: 2025 Domain: Electoral Process Responsibilities of the Election Commission Status: Reform Proposed Last Update: 14-Dec-25
Within 48 hours of the national election, and before publishing the results in the national Gazette, the Commission is to issue a public declaration certifying the integrity, credibility and acceptability of the said election. Year: 2025 Domain: Electoral Process Responsibilities of the Election Commission Status: Reform Proposed Last Update: 14-Dec-25
A legal requirement to be put in place such that, during election period, any decision undertaken by any part of the executive branch of the government that could affect election will have to be explicitly vetted by the Election Commission. Year: 2025 Domain: Electoral Process Powers of the Election Commission Status: Reform Proposed Last Update: 14-Dec-25
