Newspaper advertisement rates have not increased in the last 10 years. The rates must be increased, and the advertisement rates should be increased annually in line with market inflation. The separate classification system for determining advertisement rates must be reviewed and adjusted proportionally.

Year
2025
Reform Domain
Media Media
Sub Domain
Newspaper
Source of Reform Proposals
Mass Media Reforms Commission
Reform Proposed
Reform Proposed
Reform Initiated
Reform Initiated
Legal and Policy Framework
Legal and Policy Framework
Operationalisation
Operationalisation
Action Implementation
Action Implementation
Stage of Implementation
Reform Proposed
Reform Proposed
Last Update: 14-Dec-25
This reform proposal has been articulated in the Media Reform Commission Report but has yet to be officially initiated.
Observation
    On 5 April 2026, the Newspaper Owners’ Association of Bangladesh (NOAB), in a pre-budget discussion with the National Board of Revenue, proposed a reduction of the tax burden on the newspaper industry, including withdrawal of 3% customs duty and 15% VAT on newsprint imports, reduction of corporate tax from 27.5% to 10%, and lowering of tax at source on advertisement income. While these proposals reflect financial pressures within the sector, no specific measure has been identified to revise or index advertisement rates in line with inflation. But NOAB did not put forward proposal to increase advertisement rates.
    On 27 July 2026, the Information Minister stated that the government had initiated work to structure the government advertising-distribution and newspaper-rating systems. This indicates some movement towards reviewing the broader institutional framework governing government advertisements and newspaper classification. However, no specific measure has yet been identified to increase advertisement rates, link them to annual inflation, or proportionately revise the classification system for determining such rates.
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It is necessary for the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) to conduct annual surveys to verify the expectations and actual experiences of listeners, viewers, and readers regarding the media.
Reform Proposed
a. Eliminating gender discrimination in recruitment, placement, and training to ensure the participation of all genders at all levels of the media; b. Preparing gender-sensitive codes of conduct in each media outlet and establishing systems for providing information, discussion, training, and monitoring for effective implementation of the code of conduct; ensuring infrastructure (e.g., separate toilets, childcare centres) for the smooth participation of all genders; c. Ensuring the utmost caution in the safety and protection of journalists of all genders, prioritising the needs of women; providing transportation arrangements for safe travel; d. Establishing a complaints redress cell in each media office as per the High Court directive on preventing sexual harassment (2009); e. Taking mental health protection measures to cope with various types of pressure in journalism; f. Ensuring that women receive proper maternity leave and do not face any discrimination upon returning to work after leave; g. Formulating clear guidelines and rules for how women will be presented; preparing policies on not publishing or broadcasting stereotypical ideas that create hatred, animosity, or negative attitudes towards women, or hinder their smooth presence in all fields; h. Highlighting the multifaceted roles and participation of women in society; ensuring that the voice and perspective of women are reflected in any news/feature; i. Preparing clear guidelines for language use to avoid direct or indirect humiliation of women through words or descriptions.
Reform Initiated
More research-based knowledge is needed on media literacy’s methods, effectiveness, evaluation, etc.
Reform Proposed
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Last Updated: 14th December 2025

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