Dhaka, March 4 -- Article 19 has emphasised the need for urgent reforms to foster a media environment that upholds democracy, transparency, and human rights in Bangladesh.

The UK-based rights group submitted several legal and policy reform recommendations to the Bangladesh Media Reform Commission on Feb 23, geared towards preserving press freedom, media independence and strengthening legal protection for Bangladeshi journalists, it said in a statement on its website on Monday.

Although Bangladesh has a diverse media landscape, it faces significant challenges stemming from political partisanship in media ownership, rampant self-censorship and lack of legal protection for journalists, according to Article 19.

Despite acknowledging the Mu...