EC takes U-turn on code of conduct for media

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Making a U-turn, Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda Friday said there will be no code of conduct for mass media to cover the coming elections as the Election Commission (EC) found it hazardous at the moment, reports UNB.
'We've decided that there will be no code of conduct for mass media for election coverage," the CEC told a roundtable on 'The 9th Parliamentary Election and Our
Mass Media' at Dhaka University in the morning. Mass Communication and Journalism Alumni Association of Dhaka University organised the roundtable at the DU Senate Bhaban.
The discussion was presided over by DU's Mass Communication and Journalism Department chairperson Prof Dr Sheikh Abdus Salam.
The CEC said the print and electronic media would cover the election news as they did in the previous elections.
"We don't want to increase troubles in dealing with the media, as there are a lot of issues relating to their ownership and partnerships," he said assuring journalists that there would be no problem for them to have access to polling centres for election coverage.
Terming the media policy a highly sensitive issue, the CEC said the next political government would take decision about making the code of conduct for the mass media. "We've no other agenda in our hands except holding the elections," he said.
Dr Huda said the parliamentary elections slated for December 29 would be held as per schedule, as all candidates have submitted their nomination papers for contesting the polls. "We're seeing a good election atmosphere across the country…There's no doubt about it," he added.
About bank loan and bill defaulters, the CEC said the bigwig loan and bill defaulters are coming forward to contest the polls with High Court writs and thus many honest candidates remain out of the poll race.
Teacher of the University of Development Alternative (UDA) and deputy secretary of Bangladesh Journalism Review (BJR) Sheikh Shafiul Islam and Chairman of Communication and Journalism Department of Chittagong University Rajib Meer jointly presented a concept paper at the roundtable.
Speaking on the occasion, DUTA general secretary Prof Dr Anwar Hossain said the present government should fully withdraw the state of emergency to avoid any unwanted situation in the country. "The EC will have to work hard and in a neutral manner in this regard," he said.