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the role of the owner and the role of the editor,” he said.

Pointing out that corrupt individuals often hold key government positions and provide major advertisements, he added, “The person who will absorb that pressure is the editor.”

He lamented that editorial institutions have not grown in Bangladesh due to politicisation of media. To bring accountability to the industry, he announced that the Editors’ Council is drafting two separate codes of conduct -- one for editors and another for media owners.

Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), alleged that some “well‑known journalists” were involved in instigating the attacks on the offices of The Daily Star and Prothom Alo on December 18 last year.

“Enemies within the media, alongside external forces, also worked behind these attacks. There is documentary evidence that some well‑known media personnel were among the instigators, and certain quarters expressed glee over the incidents,” he said.

He criticised “the interim government for its silence and the indifference of law enforcement and the army during the attacks”.

He said journalism remains one of the most hazardous professions globally, with 500 journalists killed worldwide and 26 in Bangladesh over the past decade.

Hasibur Rahman, executive director of MRDI, underscored the need for newsroom self‑regulation to ensure objective and “bulletproof” reporting.

Michael Cooke, former editor of Canada’s Toronto Star, said investigative journalism is the only element that distinguishes one news house from another.

“Democracy needs defenders, and our investigative reporters and editors stand bravely on the front line,” he said, calling on managers and owners to protect reporters from harassment.

Delivering the keynote, Tauhidul Islam, director of outreach and communication at TIB, highlighted the financial constraints of uncovering facts.

Quoting Yuval Noah Harari, he said truth‑seeking is costly and time‑consuming, yet modern newsrooms often prioritise speed over accuracy.

He warned the media of a “modern form of censorship”: flooding important investigations with noise.

“The formula for censorship has changed. They no longer threaten you, no longer abduct you. Instead, they make sure when your investigation comes out, it will die down and be washed away in a flood of information and misinformation,” he said.

On public distrust in the media, Tauhidul added, “Count not the stories published but the stories killed.”

Fahim Ahmed, CEO of Jamuna TV, said: “We are an advertisement‑dependent media, and this is a kind of weakness. We have no separate funds … and it is almost impossible for a media house to invest in a single investigation for a year based on small ad revenue.”

Shakeel Anwar, a former BBC journalist, reminded the audience of the core definition of the profession: “News is what somebody somewhere wants to suppress. All the rest is advertising.”

Around 550 journalists from across the country are participating in the two‑day conference.

Yesterday’s event was also attended by Nicolas Weeks, ambassador of Sweden, and representatives from international partner organisations, including the Embassy of Sweden. Emilia Díaz‑Struck, executive director of the Global Investigative Journalism Network, joined virtually.