Kathmandu Nepal: Law and Justice Minister of Nepal Sobita Gautam today (Monday) inaugurated the 3rd International Indigenous Language Journalism Conference – 2026 at Kathmandu, Nepal. Held at Rastriya Sabha Griha the four-day conference was addressed among others by Education and Science Minister Shashmit Pokharel attended the program as the special guest .
Presided over by Lucky Chaudhary, President of the Federation of Nepal Indigenous Journalists (FONIJ), the four-day conference was addressed among others by Nripendra Lal Shrestha, President of Newar Journalists, and Md. Abdur Rahman, Secretary General of the SAARC Journalist Forum Central Committee.
The main theme of this year’s conference is “Indigenous Language Journalism for Cultural Diversity, Climate Justice, and Inclusive Democracy.”
A large number of delegates from 26 South Asian countries took part in the program and actively participated in two crucial technical sessions held on Monday, Discussions focused mostly on rights of indigenous people and government policies in this regard.
Speakers at second session discussed issues relating to the status of Indigenous Language Journalism in Nepal.
Delegates exchanged views on international experiences, the UN’s “International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022–2032)’, global challenges and achievements, the role of Nepal’s Language Commission, and legal frameworks for news media.
A high-profile delegation from Bangladesh is particapating in this international event. Led by Md. Ziaur Rahman, Special Correspondent of Dainik Aajkal, the delegation includes Mushtaq Ahmed Mubarki (Editor, Dainik Bongobani) Mohammad Moniruzzaman (Editor, Dainik Bank Bima Economi) Md. Abu Bakar Siddique (Senior Correspondent, Dainik Aajker Provat) Panna Zaman (Executive Editor, Dainik Amar Bangla) Shahnaz Begum (Representative, Channel-S Television Online) Irfan Uddin Iro (Reporter, Asian TV).
Three faculty members from the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at Atish Dipankar University of Science and Technology—Zubair Ahmed (Coordinator), Keya Bose, and Farhad Alam—also joined the conference with Bangladesh delegation.
The day’s programme was concluded with screning of a special documentary on the plight of a journalist for being honest and uncompromised.
The documentary was produced by Farhad Alam lecturer of the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at Atish Dipankar University of Science and Technology in Dhaka. The documentary was highly appreciated by the audience.
