Published: 08 December 2024
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) unveiled the Investigative Journalism Award (IJA) and held the first-ever conclave for investigative journalists on December 5, 2024, with the aim of promoting journalism for the public interest in the "New Bangladesh" and ensuring press freedom. This momentous event reaffirmed TIB's steadfast dedication to transparency while allowing journalists to reveal corruption and flaws, marking a major turning point in the nation's investigative journalism history.
The conclave celebrated the 25-year legacy of TIB’s Investigative Journalism Awards, which were first introduced in 1999. What began with a modest number of submissions has grown into a prominent initiative, with a cumulative total of 1,440 reports submitted to date, awarded 90 reports in total. The awards include 88 distinguished journalists, 13 documentaries, 7 female journalists, and 17 cameramen acknowledged for their contributions for investigative reporting. These awards honor the contributions of committed media professionals who uncover stories that promote transparency and combat corruption. It also emphasizes resilience and significance of investigative journalism in Bangladesh, despite the numerous obstacles it encountered.
Journalists from print and online media, academics, and other stakeholders came together to discuss critical issues such as press freedom, journalists’ rights, and the challenges of navigating a rapidly evolving media landscape. These discussions shed light on various pressing topics, including the pressure on media outlets, declining news quality, the rise of self-censorship, combating disinformation, ensuring the free flow of information, overcoming challenges in investigative journalism, protecting journalists, and creating an environment conducive to ethical and impactful reporting.
IJ Award Categories and Topics
This year’s awards recognized excellence in four categories: National Newspaper, Local Newspaper, TV Reporting, and TV Documentary. In 2024, a total of 59 reports were submitted for the TIB Investigative Journalism Awards. Among them four were selected in Local Print/Online Media, National Print/Online Media, Electronic Media and TV Documentary categories respectively. The award-winning reports tackled critical issues such as illicit financial relationships between doctors and pharmaceutical companies, money laundering by a major business conglomerate, and irregularities in government projects for underprivileged women at the grassroots level.
The winner in the Local Print/Online Media category is Shariful Islam (Shariful Rukun), Chief Reporter of Ekushey Patrika from Chattogram. He earned the award for his three-part investigative series titled 'Co-opting doctors with all - cheques, houses, and cars', 'Burden of bribes on patients' and 'Cost of diagnosis doubled for commission business', the investigative series exposes the unethical greed of certain healthcare professionals and the exploitative profit-making by pharmaceutical companies.
Zyma Islam, Senior Reporter at The Daily Star, was declared the winner in the National Print/Online Media category of this year’s TIB Investigative Journalism Awards. Her groundbreaking report, ‘S Alam’s Aladdin’s Lamp’ that uncovered a labyrinth of financial irregularities tied to the S Alam Group. The investigative report sheds light on the group’s clandestine operations, revealing assets worth over Tk100 crores in Singapore. Zyma’s meticulous reporting brought to public attention the shadowy financial dealings of one of the country’s most powerful companies, setting a new benchmark for investigative journalism in Bangladesh.
In the Electronic Media category, Al-Amin Haque Ahon, clinched this year’s TIB Investigative Journalism Awards for his powerful report titled ‘Project for underprivileged women, benefit project personnel rather than the women’. The investigative exposed shocking levels of corruption and mismanagement within a government initiative aimed at empowering disadvantaged women through economic opportunities. Ahon’s in-depth investigation not only shed light on widespread mismanagement and corruption but also emphasized the urgent need for transparency and accountability in government programs. His work underscores how investigative journalism serves as a vital tool in bringing systemic problems into the public eye and advocating for the marginalized.
In TV Documentary category, ‘Talaash’ from Independent Television has been awarded for their insightful program titled ‘Dealers and authorities steal the rice and wheat meant for the poor’. The documentary exposed critical insights into the challenges of food distribution and corruption within government relief programs. The award was accepted on behalf of the ‘Talaash team’ by Md. Shabuj Mahmud, Golam Kibria, Md. Abdulla Al Rafi, Md. Yasin Nur, and Md. Hasan Mahmud.
With this landmark award ceremony, TIB reaffirmed its desire to improve the basis for investigative journalism and public interest in the years to come by empowering journalists in Bangladesh to serve as crucial agents of transparency and accountability.
