Fakhrul for revival of state media outlets to create jobs for journos

LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has stressed the need to relaunch media outlets-- Dainik Bangla, The Bangladesh Times, and Bichitra -- to create employment opportunities for journalists who became jobless due to discrimination during the previous Awami autocratic regime, report agencies.

"These media outlets have historical and traditional value. Therefore, they should be reorganised to create new employment opportunities," he said.

Mirza Fakhrul, also BNP secretary general, made the remarks while addressing a discussion, jointly organised by a fraction of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and a fraction of Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) at the Jatiya Press Club in the capital on Tuesday, marking the Black Day of Newspapers.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon also spoke at the event as a special speaker.

With DUJ President Md Shahidul Islam in the chair, Acting General Secretary Didarul Alam Didar moderated the discussion, while BFUJ Secretary General Kader Gani Chowdhury presented the keynote paper.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said that although many aspects of society and technology have changed over time, sufficient employment opportunities for journalists have not been created, which he described as extremely unfortunate.

"We have a competent information minister. I hope he will take necessary state initiatives to relaunch these traditionally important closed media houses," he said.

He also called for the creation of new media platforms, if necessary with the involvement of stakeholders, to ensure sustainable livelihoods for journalists.

Criticising the political history of the Awami League, the BNP secretary general said a review of history shows that the Awami League and democracy have never gone together.

He referred to the one-party BAKSAL system in 1975 and alleged that similar patterns were repeated during what he described as 15 years of authoritarian rule.