Media assets

Television: BTV, BTV World, BTV Chattogram, Sangsad Television

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

BTV is a government-owned broadcasting entity under the administrative control of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Its senior management—including the Director General—is appointed by the government, which retains direct oversight over both its operational and editorial functions. The Ministry also determines BTV’s budget and strategic direction, leaving little room for institutional autonomy.

In the wake of the political upheaval that toppled the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina regime, Bangladesh embarked on a path of media sector reform. In September 2024, Information and Broadcasting Adviser Nahid Islam announced the creation of a Media Reform Commission. Among its top priorities is a proposal to transform BTV into a genuinely independent public service broadcaster, free from government control and political interference.

In June 2025, following the Media Reform Commission’s recommendations, a five-member committee chaired by Education Adviser C.R. Abrar and overseen by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus was established. Its mandate: ensure editorial and managerial autonomy for BTV and Bangladesh Betar, while also reviewing the last 15 years of media policy.

Earlier, in March 2025, the commission proposed merging BTV, Bangladesh Betar, and Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) into a unified, legally autonomous “National Broadcasting Corporation”, with independent governance and a single regulatory Media Commission.

Source of funding and budget

For decades, BTV has depended heavily on state subsidies to sustain its operations. Once financially self-reliant—reportedly deriving up to 90% of its income from advertising—BTV’s commercial revenue has been significantly eroded by the rise of private broadcasters. Although it continues to collect license fees from households, this revenue stream has proven insufficient to meet the network’s operating costs. Consequently, the government now shoulders most of BTV’s financial burden, including staff salaries and capital expenditures.

Editorial independence

BTV has long been perceived as a mouthpiece of the ruling government, with its editorial policies aligned with official narratives. The network’s own website stated that it “represents the government,” and local journalists interviewed in May 2023 confirmed that BTV avoids broadcasting any content critical of the party in power. No domestic legal framework or independent body currently guarantees BTV’s editorial autonomy.

This institutional lack of independence has drawn widespread criticism and public discontent. During the mass demonstrations of mid-2024, which culminated in the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 6 August 2024, BTV became a flashpoint of public anger. Protesters set fire to its headquarters in Dhaka in July 2024, symbolically rejecting the network’s perceived role in state propaganda.

July 2025

Media assets

Radio: Bangladesh Betar Radio

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

Bangladesh Betar operates as a fully state-owned entity under the auspices of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Senior management, including the Director General, is appointed by the government.

A S M Zahid is currently serving as the Director General of Bangladesh Betar. Zahid has decades of experience in broadcasting and media administration in Bangladesh.

Source of funding and budget

The broadcaster is almost entirely financed through public funds. In the 2018–2019 fiscal year, BB received a government subsidy of BDT 2.5 billion (approximately US$30.5 million), which constituted the bulk of its annual operating budget. More recent figures have not been disclosed publicly, and the agency’s financial transparency remains limited.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting serves as the budget holder, with direct oversight over funding allocations and strategic priorities, further underscoring the broadcaster’s dependency on the executive arm of the state.

Editorial independence

Bangladesh Betar remains state-controlled, adhering closely to editorial directives aligned with government messaging. No statutory protections, public service charter, or independent regulatory oversight currently exists to safeguard its editorial integrity. As such, the outlet has frequently been criticized for acting as a mouthpiece for the ruling party rather than as a neutral public broadcaster.

However, following the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 6 August 2024, Bangladesh has embarked on a fragile but potentially transformative process of political reform. Among the proposed changes is a suite of media sector reforms aimed at restoring editorial independence to state media.

In September 2024, Nahid Islam, then Adviser to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, announced the establishment of a Reform Commission tasked with developing a framework to decouple editorial policy from direct state control. The commission, comprised of media professionals, legal experts, and civil society representatives, began consultations in late 2024 and published a preliminary white paper in March 2025, proposing the creation of an independent Public Media Oversight Authority.

Although no legislative changes have yet been enacted, the reforms have opened public debate around the future role of BB as a genuine public service broadcaster. As of mid-2025, deliberations remain ongoing, with some civil society groups calling for a full transformation of BB into an autonomous public institution governed by an independent board with guaranteed funding and statutory protection from political interference.

July 2025

Media assets

News agency: BSS

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

BSS was created as a state-owned institution under a 1979 ordinance (later amended), and is administered by a government-appointed Board of Directors reporting to the Ministry of Information. In July 2020, AAMS Arefin Siddique, former Vice‑Chancellor of Dhaka University, was named chairman of the board. Following his passing in March 2025, his legacy as a scholar and educator was commemorated with public tributes.

A recent proposal, endorsed in 2025 and featured in The Financial Express, recommends reorganizing BSS (alongside Bangladesh Betar and BTV) under a legally independent Public Broadcasting Trust, governed by a board comprising media professionals, civil society figures, academics, and jurists. The move is part of the media reform activities carried out by the government after the collapse of Sheikh Hasina regime in August 2024.

As of August 2024, leadership of BSS passed to Mahbub Morshed, who is the current Managing Director and Chief Editor. Morshed is a seasoned journalist with decades of experience in government media. His appointment came during a period of media reform and political transition in Bangladesh following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation in 2024. Under his leadership, BSS began reevaluating its editorial practices and restructuring to align with transparency and independence goals promoted by the Media Reform Commission in 2025.

Source of funding and budget

The agency is primarily financed through state budget allocations, with its accounts audited by the Ministry of Information. Although BSS generates some revenue via commercial services, the bulk of its funding comes directly from government coffers.

Editorial independence

As Bangladesh’s official state news outlet, BSS’s editorial line traditionally mirrors government policy. Its dispatches often present the administration in a positive light, and there are no statutory protections or independent oversight to guarantee editorial autonomy.

However, since the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 6 August 2024 and the ensuing interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, the media landscape has begun shifting. A Media Reform Commission, established in September 2024 under Information Adviser Nahid Islam, is tasked with reducing political influence over state media.

July 2025