Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon has called for radical modernisation and structural transformation of media-related institutions to properly reflect public aspirations and address the challenges of the rapidly changing technological landscape.

“Media institutions must undergo fundamental modernisation and structural transformation to reflect public aspirations accurately and meet the challenges of the new era,” he said.

The minister made the remarks while addressing a seminar titled “Media, Public Aspirations and the July Mass Uprising” as the chief guest at the “Monsoon Revolution Auditorium” of the National Institute of Mass Communication (NIMC) here today.

Highlighting the sweeping impact of digital technology, Swapon said the expansion of the internet, digital platforms and smart devices had brought about a historic transformation in society.

“Over the past 20-25 years, the scale and intensity of social change brought by digital transformation have surpassed many of the changes witnessed over the previous thousand years,” he said.

The minister said public voices were no longer confined to government-controlled or officially registered media outlets. 

Rather, digital technology had created unprecedented opportunities for people’s spontaneous voices and aspirations to be directly reflected in society, he added.

He said institutions such as 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.

He stressed the need 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 also 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.

NIMC Director General Muhammad Hiruzzaman  chaired the seminar.

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 addressed the event as special guests.

Media researchers, teachers, journalists from different media outlets and senior officials of the ministry attended the seminar.