Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) is the official news agency of Bangladesh. The agency was established in 1972, following Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan.
Media assets
News agency: BSS
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
The BSS was established as a state-owned corporation. Its activities are regulated by an ordinance passed in 1979 (and subsequently amended). The agency is overseen by a board of directors, appointed by the government. In July 2020, the government appointed Arefin Siddique, a former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University, as chairman of the BSS board, according to information from the information ministry.
Source of funding and budget
BSS is majority funded by the government. BSS is directly accountable to the Ministry of Information, which is the agency’s budget holder.
Editorial independence
BSS is an official agency of the Government of Bangladesh. The agency’s content is aligned with the government’s editorial guidelines, resulting in a predominantly positive portrayal of the government. Consequently, BSS has been traditionally regarded as a government-affiliated media outlet.
To date, no domestic statute or independent assessment or oversight mechanism to validate the BSS’s editorial independence has been identified.
Following the resignation of Prime Minister Hasina on August 6, 2024, a series of media reforms are underway in Bangladesh. Among the reforms is a proposal to regrant editorial independence to the country’s state media. In September 2024, Information and Broadcasting Adviser Nahid Islam announced the formation of a reform commission to oversee the implementation of new policies aimed at freeing the Bangladesh media from state control.
September 2024