Justice Journalism Journey: Media Urged to Safeguard Judicial Reforms
The media has been called upon to act as vigilant guardians in implementing judicial independence and reform proposals. The appeal came during a workshop held Thursday at the National Institute of Mass Communication (NIMC), organized for members of the Law Reporters Forum—an association of journalists covering legal, judicial, and human rights affairs.
The event was arranged by the NIMC in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Swedish Embassy, and the Supreme Court of Bangladesh.
Delivering the keynote address, Supreme Court Registrar General Dr. Aziz Ahmed Bhuiyan noted that the Chief Justice has already announced a roadmap for judicial reform, with many elements already implemented. “Several matters, including the establishment of a separate secretariat, are currently in process. The media can play a leading role in realizing these reforms to ensure judicial independence,” he said.
Romana Schwaiger, Legal, Justice and Security Advisor for UNDP Bangladesh, emphasized the importance of digitizing court administration. “To ensure justice for the people, we are working towards the establishment of an independent prosecution and investigation agency,” she said.
UNDP Bangladesh’s Assistant Resident Representative Anwarul Haque stated, “With UNDP's support, dialogue sessions have been conducted in seven regions of the country to raise public awareness on judicial reforms as part of the roadmap implementation.”
The workshop was inaugurated by NIMC Director General Md. Kawsar Ahmed.
Also speaking at the event were the Institute’s Director (Training Programs) Dr. Md. Maruf Nawaz, while the session was moderated by Assistant Director Tanzim Tamanna. Deputy Director Mohammad Abu Sadek was also present. A total of 40 members from the Law Reporters Forum participated in the workshop.
A hands-on training session on mobile journalism was conducted by Dr. Kabil Khan Jamil, Associate Professor at Daffodil International University and an expert in mobile journalism, along with Sabbir Ahmed, Editor-in-Chief of Bangladesh Times.
