Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon emphasized the urgent need for radical modernization and structural transformation of media institutions to accurately reflect public aspirations and navigate the rapidly changing technological landscape. Speaking as the chief guest at a seminar titled 'Media, Public Aspirations and the July Mass Uprising' held at the 'Monsoon Revolution Auditorium' of the National Institute of Mass Communication (NIMC), Swapon highlighted the profound impact of digital technology on society.
'Media institutions must undergo fundamental modernisation and structural transformation to reflect public aspirations accurately and meet the challenges of the new era,' Swapon asserted. He noted that the expansion of the internet, digital platforms, and smart devices has brought about a historic transformation in society, with the scale and intensity of social change surpassing many of the changes witnessed over the previous thousand years.
Swapon pointed out that public voices are no longer confined to government-controlled or officially registered media outlets. Instead, digital technology has created unprecedented opportunities for people’s spontaneous voices and aspirations to be directly reflected in society. He stressed that institutions like the NIMC, Bangladesh Television, and Bangladesh Betar were established under structures that predated the era of the internet and smart devices.
'These institutions must deeply understand the changing needs of audiences, the implications of cloud technology, and the emerging challenges of the transformed media landscape,' he said. Swapon called for an integrated application of expert knowledge, sustainable technologies, and professional skills to effectively translate public aspirations into modern media content and services.
The minister assured that the discussions and well-considered recommendations presented at the seminar would be taken into account in preparing the government’s policy roadmap and incorporated into the action plans of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The seminar was chaired by NIMC Director General Muhammad Hiruzzaman, with special guests including Member of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC) Dr. Chowdhury Saima Ferdous and Secretary General of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) Kader Gani Chowdhury. Media researchers, teachers, journalists from different media outlets, and senior officials of the ministry attended the event.
