Bangladesh has advanced 16 positions in the World Press Freedom Index due to the absence of government interference in the media, Information and Broadcasting Adviser Mahfuj Alam has said.

He said this while speaking about Bangladesh’s latest position in the index published on the website of Reporters Without Borders on Friday.

“There is no interference in media outlets through phone calls or otherwise from the government,” said the adviser.

Describing the interim government's efforts to uphold press freedom, the adviser said that Bangladesh Betar, Bangladesh Television and all other media outlets in the country are now free from government influence.He added that several initiatives have already been taken to ensure a free and robust media environment in the country.The 16 spots improvement in the World Press Freedom Index proves  that the government is working to empower the media and protect its independence,he added.Based on the recommendations of the Media Reform Commission, several reform initiatives will be taken soon, said Mahfuj.He expressed hope that Bangladesh will progress even further in next year’s index and that the rights of journalists and media professionals in the country will remain safeguarded.Paris-based organisation Reporters Without Borders published the World Press Freedom Index 2025 on its website, marking the World Press Freedom Day on May 3. Bangladesh ranked 149th among 180 countries, improving from 165th in the index published in May 2024.According to the report, Bangladesh scored 33.71 out of 100 this year in terms of press freedom, up from 27.64 in 2024.This year, neighbouring India ranked two spots below Bangladesh at 151st in the index.Meanwhile, in light of this alarming situation, RSF calls on public authorities, private actors and regional institutions to commit to a New Deal for Journalism by following 11 key recommendations. The media’s economic fragility has emerged as one of the foremost threats to press freedom.According to the findings of the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, the overall conditions for practising journalism are poor (categorised as "difficult" or "very serious") in half of the world's countries; when looking at the economic conditions alone, that figure becomes three-quarters.