Culture of impunity is a major threat to practicing ethical journalism in Bangladesh, said Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul, president of a faction of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ).

A total of 24 journalists were killed in 44 years but only one of the victim families got justice, mentioned Bulbul, also editor-in-chief of ATN News, at a seminar on "Contemporary Ethical and Legal Challenges for Journalists" organised by the Department of Media and Mass Communication of American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB) yesterday.

The constitution has guaranteed freedom of expression under article 39 but nobody knows what will happen after someone expresses opinion. There are almost 20 laws which clash with the freedom of press, he said.

Referring to a recent comment of the home minister, Bulbul stressed the need for the definition of defamation.

According to a recent study, the living standard and salary of the majority of journalists in Bangladesh are very poor. Their ethical standard is very poor too, he mentioned.

The ICT law is necessary for protecting privacy and preventing abuse of women and children but it too has loopholes which need to be addressed.

The department's Chairperson Prof Shafiul Alam Bhuiyan said at present journalism in Bangladesh is mainly dealing with three issues --contempt of court, section 57 of ICT Law (Amended) and vibrant social media and these sectors need to be addressed properly for the safety of journalists and freedom of expression.

Prof Tazul Islam, dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Science of AIUB, also spoke.