DW Akademie in Bangladesh
Media coverage in Bangladesh often reflects political affiliations, with many outlets perceived as leaning either toward the ruling party or the opposition. Independent journalism exists but faces challenges in maintaining neutrality. Commercial media organizations may align their reporting with the interests of their owners or sponsors, while state-run broadcasters operate under the oversight of the Ministry of Information. As a result, some journalists may choose self-censorship.
Media representatives, opposition politicians and the non-governmental organization Transparency International say that a media law passed in August 2014 further restricted press freedom and people’s access to information. Some ten years later, Bangladesh still scores low on Reporters Without Borders' World Press Freedom Index: In 2025 it was ranked 149th out of 180 countries.
Our activities
In the realm of journalism education, DW Akademie works in two main areas in Bangladesh: We support the Communication and Journalism Educators Network (CJEN) and train skilled students and young media professionals from outside the capital Dhaka as Local Media Hub Fellows. In both areas, we emphasize working with talents from media houses and universities outside of Dhaka.
Download our evaluation reports for Bangladesh below.
Since 2018, CJEN has been providing a forum where private and state universities discuss trends and best practices in journalism education. These discussions also involve representatives from the media industry, civil society and political actors. They foster dialogue and advocate freedom of expression.
The South Asia Center for Media in Development (SACMID) supports Local Media Hub Fellows as they learn about new trends and topics that are not yet part of all university curricula. These topics include AI, data journalism, fact-checking, environmental reporting, constructive journalism, and diversity and inclusion.
Being heard: Displaced Rohingya and host communities
Under the Displacement and Dialogue program, we support our partner Young Power in Social Action (YPSA) which works with Rohingya refugees and local Bangladeshi community volunteers. They are mentored in producing constructive audio-visual reports as well as live dialogue events that focus on everyday matters in the Rohingya camps and the surrounding villages. We also train and mentor local journalists to produce constructive and gender sensitive reports, especially in the Rohingya context.
In yet a further project, we promote community-led dialogue between young people in Bangladesh and in Myanmar to promote mutual understanding, conflict resolution and peace.
Funding: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), EU
Program Director Journalism of the Future: Karin Schädler
Program Director Displacement and Dialogue Asia: Andrea Marshall
Locations: Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Barishal, Khulna, Cumilla, Cox's Bazar
Local partners: State and private universities countrywide, South Asia Center for Media in Development (SACMID), Young Power in Social Action
Focus: Qualification, civic engagement, participation of disadvantaged groups, media and journalism education and curriculum development, professionalism and journalism networks, social participation, civic society lobby for freedom of expression, conflict and media/ conflict-sensitive reporting, media viability
