No new act is being adopted for journos

Says Hasan

FE Team | Published: June 15, 2022 23:46:59

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Wednesday said no new act is being adopted for journalists, reports BSS.
The minister stated this while replying to a query from journalists at the meeting room of his ministry in the city.
Earlier, Hasan exchanged views with the leaders of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ).
The BFUJ leaders demanded withdrawal of all government facilities including newsprint quota, identity cards, ads and supplementary for those news outlets which are not implementing the ninth wage board award.
Replying to a query over the comment of the Press Council chairman, Hasan said most of the members of the council are journalists and editors and they had proposed to amend the council act of 1974 to strengthen it. The proposal is in process till now and no new act is being adopted for the journalists, he added.
He said many persons of unregistered online portals, IP TV and even employees of YouTube channel introduced themselves as journalists and some of them employed district correspondents. Even, they take money from those correspondents and some deceive common people in the name of journalists, he added.
Discussions were held with the Press Council and the Press Institute to make the lists of working journalists in registered mass media, said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.
Earlier, BFUJ president Omar Faruque, former president Manzurul Ahsan Bulbul, secretary general Dip Azad, treasurer Khairuzzaman Kamal and executive members Dr Utpal Kumar Sarker, Nure Jannat Akther Shima, Ummul Wala Sweety and Angur Nahar Monti handed over a letter with a five-point demand.
The demands included implementation of the ninth wage board award in TV and online portals along with newspapers after amendment, cancellation of all government facilities for those newspapers which would not implement the ninth wage board award, determining the exact circulation of newspapers, delegate the power of declaration from DC office to Information and Broadcasting Ministry and ensuring involvement of BFUJ in legislation on media.
Dip Azad presented the demands while Omar Faruque and Manzurul addressed the meeting, among others.
The minister assured them of looking into the demands.
Replying to another query over the Cumilla City Corporation polls, Hasan said the election was being held in a very peaceful and enthusiastic environment and no untoward incident took place.