Public Aspirations Must Be Understood for Political Parties to Survive: Amir Khosru

Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, a member of the BNP’s Standing Committee, stated that the expectations and aspirations of the people have significantly increased following the ousting of Sheikh Hasina in a mass uprising. Speaking at a seminar titled *“Media During Fascist Rule, Current Situation: Public Expectations”* held on Saturday at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity CRAB Auditorium, he emphasized that political parties failing to understand these aspirations have no future in Bangladesh.

The seminar was organized by the Ziaur Rahman Study Circle, USA. Amir Khosru remarked that authoritarian regimes can only survive by curbing media freedom. He alleged that during Sheikh Hasina’s tenure, incidents like media shutdowns were inevitable, as such measures were necessary for her to maintain power by excluding the public.

He further claimed that under the previous Awami League government, not only journalism but also genuine business activities were stifled. “Business was reduced to looting, leaving no opportunities for ordinary businessmen. The same happened in journalism,” he said. Amir Khosru stressed that democratizing politics alone is insufficient; the economy and media must also be democratized. He argued that democracy cannot function effectively unless its principles are reflected in every sector. Without public participation in the economy and freedom for journalists to work independently, democracy will not thrive. The keynote address was delivered by Ashiq Islam, former Senior Assistant Press Secretary to Khaleda Zia. He highlighted that the Awami League government enacted the Digital Security Act in 2018 to suppress objective news reporting. Between October 2018 and September 2023, 1,436 cases were filed under this law, implicating at least 4,520 individuals. Among them, 451 journalists faced cases, with 209 affiliated with national media outlets and 197 being local journalists. At least 97 journalists were arrested, including 50 local journalists.

The seminar, moderated by former Dhaka Reporters’ Unity President Mursalin Nomani, was chaired by Mohammad Kasem, Chief Executive of the Ziaur Rahman Study Circle, USA. Other speakers included Ziauddin Haider, a member of the BNP Chairperson’s Advisory Council, Manjurul Islam, Executive Editor of Bangladesh Pratidin, and Didarul Alam, Joint Secretary of the Dhaka Journalists’ Union.