Dec 8, 2025
| Staff Correspondent
Study analysed 16,278 news contents on energy over 10yrs
Media narratives shifted from 'announcement journalism' to accountability
Energy crisis not natural accident
Cronyism, corruption, elite capture repeatedly identified in coverage
Despite legal indemnities, digital censorship and corporate pressure, the media in Bangladesh have gradually built a counter-narrative that exposed the fragility of the energy sector's development model, according to a study by the Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Action Network.
Analysing 16,278 news contents published in newspapers and online platforms on power and energy issues over the last decade, the study said the media have established that the energy crisis was not an accident of nature but a failure of governance.
"The past decade of energy journalism in Bangladesh is a story of resilience," reads the study titled "Narrative Arc of Energy: A Decade of Media Discourse in Bangladesh (2015-2025)", which was presented yesterday at a session of the ongoing Bangladesh Energy Conference at Bangladesh Military Museum. The three-day conference ends today, with leaders of different political parties, government stakeholders, energy experts and non-government organisations expected at the closing ceremony.
The study said media coverage of energy issues was dominated by state-driven "announcement journalism" between 2015 and 2019. The global energy crisis of 2022, however, marked a turning point, shifting narratives from technical supply issues to political debates on affordability, accountability and corruption.
Presenting the findings, CLEAN Communications Coordinator Kaniz Rabeya said the volume of news on energy issues increased by 484 percent in 2025 compared to 2015. The organisation also compiled energy stories from 2024 in various outlets under the title "Energy Sector in Bangladesh: In the View of Journalists", which was unveiled at the session.
Kamal Ahmed, consulting editor of The Daily Star, said the findings reflected only a partial picture as they did not include television coverage, where energy issues received minimal attention. "Until the vested interest groups' presence in media ownership is dismantled, the situation will not improve," he said. Kamal Ahmed, also former chief of the Media Reform Commission, said the commission submitted recommendations with "immediate action plans" in March, but no major initiatives have been taken by the government.
Reflecting on the past decade, he said the atmosphere was marked by fear. "Shutting down outlets, ownership transfers, sacking journalists, and cutting advertisements were very common. Sometimes businesses influence the media more than the government. As a result, many major incidents went unreported." He added, "Sometimes there was news, but there was no editor willing to dare to publish it."
Dhaka Tribune Editor Reaz Ahmed said achieving 100 percent electrification was a success, but it came at a huge cost, with corruption remaining largely unexposed. "The time has not ended," he said, adding that journalists would continue to expose malpractice based on lessons learned, not out of vindictiveness.
The session was chaired by Monowar Mostafa, executive member of the Bangladesh Working Group on Ecology and Development. Shahidul Islam Chowdhury, executive editor of Daily Desh Rupantor, also spoke.
News Link: Energy crisis a ‘failure of governance’