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Message: [QUOTE="Munyaradzi Mafaro, post: 50388, member: 636"] Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus took office last August and told reporters they could criticize freely. He wanted them to point out government mistakes without fear. Media freedom matters because democracy needs honest reporting to work properly. Leaders must face questions from journalists who tell the truth. Free press helps keep politicians honest and accountable. Hasnat Abdullah from the National Citizen Party made scary threats against Bashundhara media outlets recently. He said people would never tolerate their reporting and called them fascist helpers. Abdullah accused their journalists of supporting former leader Hasina and plotting against the country. His angry words frighten not just reporters but everyone who cares about democracy. Such threats remind people of the bad old days when leaders silenced critics. The media has faced attacks and intimidation for over a year since the uprising. Reporters think twice before writing stories that might upset powerful people. Mob violence against news outlets happens regularly across Bangladesh. Leaders post angry messages on Facebook that lead to real attacks on journalists. This creates a climate where reporters censor themselves out of fear. Kaler Kantho newspaper published important stories about corrupt police chief Benazir Ahmed last March. These reports helped bring down the previous government by exposing massive theft and corruption. The ruling party filed many lawsuits against Bashundhara outlets to silence them. Politicians must learn to accept criticism if they want real democracy to succeed. [/QUOTE]

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