Ten journalists, including The Daily Star's Senior Reporter Baharam Khan, have been honored at the "Media Award on Judicial Independence 2025," an initiative organized by the National Institute of Mass Communication (NIMC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Certificates and prize money were distributed to the recipients during a formal award ceremony hosted yesterday at the NIMC auditorium located on Darussalam Road in Dhaka.
The roster of awardees includes Mohammad Didarul Alam from the Daily Ittefaq, Mohammad Gulam Rabbani from the Financial Express, Abu Saleh Rony from Dainik Samakal, Ehsanul Haque Jasim from the Daily Sun, Md Iqbal Hossain from BTV, Shakera Arju from Ekushey TV, Habibul Islam from Star News, Asadur Rahman from Radio Padma, and Syeda Sabrina Mojumder from Desh TV.
Organizers noted that five of the journalists received recognition within the print and online category, while the remaining five were honoured in the television and radio category for their in-depth reporting.
Information ministry secretary Mahbuba Farjana graced the occasion as the chief guest, addressing attendees alongside other prominent officials.
Additional speakers at the event included Daily Samakal editor Shahed Mohammad Ali, High Court Division registrar Mohammad Moazzem Hossain, UNDP Bangladesh assistant resident representative Anowarul Haq, and UNDP Bangladesh head of communications Abdul Qayyum.
The program was presided over by Muhammad Hiruzzaman, the director general of NIMC.
Why it matters
The awards highlight the crucial role of in-depth journalism in promoting judicial independence and media accountability in Bangladesh.