President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today expressed profound grief and shock at the death of Toufique Imrose Khalidi, editor-in-chief and publisher of bdnews24.com.

A delegation representing the Bangladesh Chapter of the SAARC Journalist Forum (SJF) held a bilateral meeting in the Bhutanese capital with Rinzin Wangchuk, a central executive committee member of the organization, according to a press release issued on Monday. The meeting took place following an invitation extended by Wangchuk. During the discussions in Thimphu, both sides exchanged ideas on strengthening regional cooperation among media professionals across SAARC member states.  Delegates focused on the ongoing challenges confronting journalists in the region, underscoring the necessity of greater government support to help journalists enhance their technical capacity, fulfill their duties effectively, and maintain professional dignity. Key topics highlighted during the meeting included the implementation of specialized training programs on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for media practitioners, alongside the vital importance of championing press freedom, democratic values, and peace across South Asia.  Read More Veteran Journalist and Freedom Fighter Mrinal Krishna Roy Passes Away Since its inception, the SAARC Journalist Forum has continuously utilized seminars and conferences to urge relevant authorities to keep regional members updated on upcoming programs aimed at consolidating cross-border media ties. Host representative Rinzin Wangchuk previously served as the president of the Journalists Association of Bhutan and was formerly the editor of *Kuensel*, the country's main national daily. The Bangladeshi team arrived in Thimphu on August 15 after attending the four-day International Indigenous Journalism Conference in Kathmandu, Nepal, which ran from August 9 to 12.  Led by veteran journalist Md. Ziaur Rahman, the delegation featured SJF Secretary General and The Bangladesh Post Senior Correspondent Md Abdur Rahman, The Daily Bongobani Editor Mushtaq Ahmed Mubaraqui, The Daily Aajkal Special Correspondent Md. Ziaur Rahman, Daily Bank Beema Economics Editor Mohammad Muniruzzaman, Daily Amar Bangla Managing Editor Panna Zaman and Daily Aajker Provat Senior Correspondent Md Abu Bakar Siddique.

Veteran journalist, heroic freedom fighter and member of the Jatiya Press Club (JPC) Mrinal Krishna Roy passed away at a city hospital early today (Sunday).   He was 84. He is survived by his wife, two sons, relatives, colleagues and a host of admirers, said a family source.  His body was taken to the Jatiya Press Club this afternoon, where colleagues and well-wishers paid their last respects to him. Later, his last rites were performed at the Postogola crematorium in the city.  Mrinal Krishna Roy began his journalism career with the Pakistan Observer in 1965.  Read More June 16 Marked as Black Day for Suppression of Press Freedom He later worked for the now-defunct Bangladesh Times, The Financial Express and the national news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS). The Jatiya Press Club mourned his death. In a condolence message, JPC President Hasan Hafiz and General Secretary Aiyub Bhuiyan expressed profound shock and sorrow at his death. They prayed for the salvation of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family members.

June 16 is marked what the journalists describe as a black day in Bangladesh’s history, commemorating the closure of most newspapers by the then BAKSAL government led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975, which they say curtailed press freedom and left thousands of media workers unemployed. According to a statement, on this day in 1975, the government retained only four newspapers under state management and shut down all others. As a result, thousands of journalists and media workers reportedly lost their jobs overnight and were forced into severe hardship.  The statement said people were deprived of access to accurate information and objective news, while freedom of expression in the media, politics, groups and among individuals was restricted. Since 1976, the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), the Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ), various political parties, social organisations and professional bodies have been observing the day as ‘Newspaper Black Day’ in protest against what they describe as the repressive ordinance issued by the BAKSAL government. To mark the occasion, BFUJ and DUJ will jointly organise a discussion at 10:30am tomorrow at the Tofazzal Hossain Manik Mia Hall at the Jatiya Press Club. The statement said Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will attend the programme as the chief guest, while Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan will be present as the special guest.  Journalist leaders, representatives of civil society and prominent intellectuals are also expected to attend the event. Read More Experts: Flawed Cigarette Pricing in New Budget Fails 'Tobacco-Free' Goal In a joint statement issued today, BFUJ President Obaidur Rahman Shaheen, Secretary General Kader Gani Chowdhury, DUJ President Md Shahidul Islam and Acting General Secretary Didarul Alam said the fourth amendment to the Constitution was introduced in parliament three years after the country's independence. They said the amendment, which they described as being contrary to democratic values, led to the establishment of the one-party BAKSAL system. As a continuation of that process, the government closed all newspapers on June 16, 1975, while four publications continued under state management as government mouthpieces. According to the statement, several thousand journalists and media employees became unemployed as a result, making the day a black chapter in the country's history regarding press freedom and freedom of expression. Journalists continue to observe the day annually as a ‘Black Day’ in condemnation of those actions, it added. The leaders said that Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman assumed state power following what they termed the Sepoy-People's Revolution of November 1975.  They said he restored multi-party democracy through constitutional changes, repealed what they described as undemocratic provisions introduced under the BAKSAL government, and re-established freedom of the press. Expressing concern, the journalist leaders alleged that whenever the Awami League comes to power, it targets the media first. They claimed that after returning to office in 2009, the party followed a similar path by shutting down numerous newspapers, private television channels and online news portals over the subsequent 16 years, leaving thousands of journalists unemployed. They also alleged that journalists and media organisations were compelled to surrender under government pressure, making objective and truthful journalism increasingly difficult and placing journalists' livelihoods under severe threat. The statement said that after assuming responsibility for running the state following the November 7, 1975 events, Ziaur Rahman ensured unrestricted freedom for journalists to write and express opinions. It added that he first relaxed legal restrictions on newspaper publication and encouraged the publication of newspapers across the country. According to the statement, he believed it was the government's responsibility to help sustain newspapers. The leaders said Ziaur Rahman facilitated the publication of a first-class newspaper, "The Dainik Barta", from Rajshahi, which they claimed brought about a revolution in information flow across the northern region and created employment opportunities for many journalists. They said that due to the relaxation of declaration requirements, daily, weekly, fortnightly and monthly newspapers began to be published not only from Dhaka but also from divisional headquarters, districts and even upazila-level areas. According to the statement, Ziaur Rahman also liberalised the policy governing the distribution of government advertisements to help sustain newspapers. The allocation of advertisements from government, semi-government and autonomous institutions was decentralised, while 60 percent of government advertisements were distributed to newspapers published in Dhaka and the remaining 40 percent to those published outside the capital. The leaders said these measures created renewed momentum in newspaper publication throughout the country.

Public health experts and economists are sounding the alarm over the newly proposed cigarette pricing structure for the fiscal year 2026–27, warning that it severely undermines national public health goals and fails to curb smoking rates. While the draft budget—the first under the current government—introduces steeper price hikes for premium cigarettes, it leaves low-tier brands virtually untouched. Because low-tier products command nearly 90 percent of the local market, analysts argue the lopsided framework will fail to encourage quitting, instead accelerating a troubling trend known as "downtrading." Widening the Gap, Fueling 'Downtrading' Under the proposed four-tier framework, the minimum price for low-tier cigarettes will rise by a negligible BDT 2 per pack of 10 sticks—breaking down to an increase of just 20 paisa per stick. In stark contrast, premium and high-tier brands face much heavier hikes. Specifically, the Finance Minister has proposed the following adjustments per 10 sticks: Low Tier: Increases to BDT 62 (Up from BDT 60) Medium Tier: Increases to BDT 92 (Up from BDT 80) High Tier: Increases to BDT 160 (Up from BDT 140) Premium Tier: Increases to BDT 210 (Up from BDT 185) Economists warn that this structure vastly widens the price gap between premium and budget options. Rather than motivating smokers to kick the habit, the disparity creates a financial safety net, allowing budget-conscious consumers to simply migrate to cheaper brands to fit their finances. Read More Rtv Hits 26 Million Facebook Followers, Cements Digital Dominance Broken Promises on Public Health The proposed pricing directly contradicts repeated pledges made by the administration, according to policy analysts. Top policymakers have frequently reaffirmed commitments to introducing strict legal and fiscal measures to reduce tobacco-induced non-communicable diseases and achieve a "tobacco-free nation." Experts caution that by keeping lower-tier cigarettes highly affordable and accessible, smoking prevalence may spike, with low-income populations bearing the brunt of the adverse health impacts. Calls for Overhauling the Tax Structure This latest critique echoes long-standing demands from anti-tobacco organizations urging the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to overhaul the country’s tobacco tax system. For years, advocates have pushed to scrap the current multi-tiered ad valorem system (where tax is levied as a percentage of the retail price) in favor of a uniform specific excise tax. Independent sector assessments reveal that downtrading has been a visible, fifteen-year trend in Bangladesh because taxes on premium cigarettes have historically outpaced adjustments on cheaper brands. Public health advocates emphasize that to meaningfully reduce tobacco consumption, the government cannot rely solely on penalizing premium consumers. Instead, Bangladesh requires a cohesive tax restructuring that minimizes the price gaps between tiers. Experts are urging policymakers to revisit and significantly raise the pricing of lower-tier cigarettes before the budget is ratified to safeguard both public health and sustainable government revenue.