Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
Profile
- Head
- Zahir Uddin Swapan
- Role
- Minister
- Annual budget
- —
- Staff
- —
- Established
- 1971
- Legal basis
- Established under the Provisional Government of Bangladesh (1971); operations governed by the Rules of Business of the Government of Bangladesh; Broadcasting Act 1979 and subsequent subsidiary legislation.
Pursuing a consensus-based Mass Media Commission and journalists' professional protection roadmap while steering BTV autonomy reform through bureaucratic resistance; has pledged maximum press freedom without judicial imprisonment of journalists.
Recent activity
- 2026-02-17 appointment Zahir Uddin Swapan (BNP, Barishal-1) sworn in as Minister of Information and Broadcasting in PM Tarique Rahman's cabinet; third time in parliament (previously elected in 6th and 8th parliaments). ↗↗↗
- 2026-02-18 appointment Yeaser Khan Chowdhury (BNP, Mymensingh-9; b. 18 Feb 1982) sworn in as State Minister for Information and Broadcasting. ↗↗↗
- 2026-02-20 policy Information Minister pledged to ensure the highest level of media freedom, stating no journalist will remain in jail without committing a crime and committing to a fearless environment for media. ↗↗
- 2026-02-23 appointment At the 39th board meeting of Bangladesh Journalist Welfare Trust (BJWT), Minister Swapan nominated State Minister Yeaser Khan Chowdhury as the new chairman of BJWT's board of trustees. ↗↗↗
- 2026-03-01 statement Minister Swapan stated the government is preparing a time-befitting roadmap to ensure professional dignity, proper pay structure, and overall security of journalists, and sought proposals from journalist leaders. ↗↗
- 2026-03-10 appointment Mohammad Abdul Bashir Jamal (Basir Jamal), senior assistant secretary-general of BFUJ and chief reporter of daily Amar Desh, appointed Managing Director of Bangladesh Journalist Welfare Trust on a one-year contractual basis. ↗↗
- 2026-03-20 reform Ministry confirmed a five-member committee formed to chart a roadmap for transforming BTV and Bangladesh Betar into independent, accountable public service broadcasters in line with the Media Reform Commission recommendations. ↗↗
- 2026-04-10 policy Minister Swapan announced plans to form an independent Mass Media Commission based on stakeholder consensus, including print, electronic, and digital media under a unified regulatory framework; rejected imposition approach. ↗↗
- 2026-05-01 statement At a press freedom event, Minister Swapan reiterated that media overhaul for the digital era is planned, including addressing misinformation; said professionalism is the key to resolving sector problems sustainably. ↗↗
- 2026-05-10 international Information Minister highlighted Bangladesh's commitment to global journalism standards and strong media as essential to fighting misinformation, at an international conference in Dhaka. ↗↗
Provenance & notes
Minister Swapan's oath date confirmed as February 17, 2026 by BSS (news/361922); one report says February 18 but February 17 is consistent with PM Tarique Rahman's swearing-in date. Swapan was previously MP for Barishal-1 in the 6th parliament (1996) and 8th parliament (2001); his appointment as full minister is the first full minister from Barishal in over 37 years per BSS/others/362069. Yaser Khan Chowdhury's Wikipedia birth date is 18 February 1982; constituency Mymensingh-9 confirmed by parliament.gov.bd and BSS. BJWT chairman nomination on February 23 is the date of the 39th board meeting per BSS news/363343 and Dhaka Tribune. BTV autonomy roadmap committee was established under the interim government's Media Reform Commission recommendations (2025); the current BNP government inherited and is continuing this process. Annual budget figure not verifiable from public sources; the Finance Division ministry-level budget document exists at mof.portal.gov.bd but was not accessible in summary form. Staff count not published in any accessible primary source. Bangladesh ranks 152nd in RSF World Press Freedom Index 2025.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Information_and_Broadcasting_(Bangladesh)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zahir_Uddin_Swapan
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasser_Khan_Choudhury
- https://www.bssnews.net/news/361922
- https://www.bssnews.net/news/362013
- https://www.bssnews.net/news/363343
- https://www.bssnews.net/news/386170
- https://www.bssnews.net/others/367719
- https://www.bssnews.net/news-flash/369190
- https://www.bssnews.net/news-flash/367353
- https://www.bssnews.net/news-flash/364342
- https://www.bssnews.net/news-flash/370322
- https://www.bssnews.net/news-flash/384653
- https://businessinbangladesh.com.bd/zahir-uddin-swapan-sworn-in-as-information-and-broadcasting-minister/
- https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/governance/news/who-gets-which-ministry-inside-bnps-cabinet-line-4108521
- https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/healthy-regulation-needed-media-not-control-info-minister-4166511
- https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/government-affairs/404268/information-minister-highest-level-of-media
- https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/government-affairs/404068/state-minister-yeaser-khan-nominated-as-journalist
- https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/government-affairs/405178/basir-jamal-made-new-md-of-bangladesh-journalists
- https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/dhaka/409514/info-minister-govt-plans-media-overhaul-for
- https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/foreign-affairs/406316/information%C2%A0minister
- https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/govt-ensure-fearless-environment-media-information-minister-1365001
- https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/govt-starts-process-form-media-commission-strengthen-media-freedom-accountability-info
- https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/committee-formed-ensure-autonomy-btv-bangladesh-betar-1169171
- https://tob.news/info-state-minister-yaser-khan-chowdhury-appointed-new-chairman-of-bjwt/
- https://statemediamonitor.com/2025/07/bangladesh-tevevision-btv/
- https://viewsbangladesh.com/yaser-khan-chowdhury-became-state-minister-for-information-and-broadcasting/