60% people believe freedom of expression increased under interim govt: VOA survey

A survey conducted by Voice of America (VOA) Bangla revealed that 60.4% of participants believe that freedom of expression has increased under the interim government compared to the tenure of the ousted Awami League government. 

Additionally, 61.2% of respondents feel that the media enjoys more freedom now than during the Awami League's rule, according to the survey, which was conducted across eight divisions of Bangladesh involving 1,000 respondents, aged 18 and above.

Freedom of expression

Many respondents shared diverse views on freedom of expression under the interim government. While 25.2% believe it remains the same as during the Awami League's tenure, 14.2% think it has decreased, and 0.2% declined to comment. 

Notably, a higher percentage of men (64.3%) feel that freedom of expression has improved under the interim government, compared to 56.5% of women who share this perspective.

Among youth aged 18-34, around 57.1% perceive greater freedom under the interim government, while 63.8% of those aged 35 and above feel the same. Respondents from rural areas (58.4%) and urban areas (66.3%) also agree that freedom of expression has increased.

Media freedom

The survey revealed that 61.2% of respondents believe the media has more freedom under the interim government compared to the Awami League's rule.

While 18.5% observed no difference in media freedom compared to the previous Awami League government, 13.3% felt that media freedom has decreased under the interim administration. Additionally, 0.2% of respondents chose not to comment on the matter.

Among urban respondents, 73.8% feel that the media enjoys more freedom under the interim government, while 57.1% of rural respondents agree. 65.7% of younger respondents and 56.5% of older respondents feel similarly. Among men, 68.2% support this view, compared to 54.2% of women.

Following the ouster of the Awami League on 5 August and the assumption of power by Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus on 8 August, media outlets perceived as favourable to the Awami League faced initial public backlash. 

On 11 September in a speech, Dr Yunus emphasised the government's commitment to media freedom and announced plans for a Media Reform Commission, established on 17 September.

The interim government also decided to repeal the controversial Cyber Security Act. The Advisory Council in a meeting on 7 November approved in principle the draft of the Cyber Security Act (Repeal) Ordinance 2024.