Govt plans to restore Newspaper Employees Act 1974
Sunday, 26 April 2009
Information Minister Abul Kalam Azad said Saturday the government planned to restore the Newspaper Employees (Condition of Services) Act 1974 introduced by the Bangabandhu government subject to discussion in the next parliament session, reports UNB.
"This Act was scraped by the previous BNP-led four-party government snatching the rights of media people to constitute wage board in every five years," he told the annual general meeting (AGM) of Dhaka Journalists’ Union (DUJ) at the National Press Club.
After repealing the Act, the alliance government constituted wage board for the journalists and media employees in accordance with Bangladesh Labour Law 2006.
He said the government believed in free flow of information through newspapers and electronic media and invited constructive criticism against the government so that it could update its policies for the welfare of the people.
Referring to the persecution, repression and harassment of media people by the past BNP-led four-party alliance, the information minister said the present government would take steps to ensure justice to them.
Azad called upon the journalists to maintain objectivity in their reporting as it was important for democracy and establishing the rule of law.
Presided over by DUJ President Shah Alamgir, the function was addressed, among others, by State Minister for Housing and Public Works Abdul Mannan Khan.
Speaking on the occasion, Mannan Khan said two housing projects would be implemented with multi-storeyed buildings on both sides of the Buriganga in the capital where professional groups, including journalists, would be provided with flats on hire-purchase basis.
He said plots at Purbachal in the capital would be allotted as per the existing rules left by the previous government. "In case of any controversy over the existing rules, the allotted plots would be reconsidered after discussion with all concerned."
Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists ‘(BFUJ) president Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, secretary general Altaf Mahmud, DUJ general secretary Omar Farooq also spoke at the meeting.
"This Act was scraped by the previous BNP-led four-party government snatching the rights of media people to constitute wage board in every five years," he told the annual general meeting (AGM) of Dhaka Journalists’ Union (DUJ) at the National Press Club.
After repealing the Act, the alliance government constituted wage board for the journalists and media employees in accordance with Bangladesh Labour Law 2006.
He said the government believed in free flow of information through newspapers and electronic media and invited constructive criticism against the government so that it could update its policies for the welfare of the people.
Referring to the persecution, repression and harassment of media people by the past BNP-led four-party alliance, the information minister said the present government would take steps to ensure justice to them.
Azad called upon the journalists to maintain objectivity in their reporting as it was important for democracy and establishing the rule of law.
Presided over by DUJ President Shah Alamgir, the function was addressed, among others, by State Minister for Housing and Public Works Abdul Mannan Khan.
Speaking on the occasion, Mannan Khan said two housing projects would be implemented with multi-storeyed buildings on both sides of the Buriganga in the capital where professional groups, including journalists, would be provided with flats on hire-purchase basis.
He said plots at Purbachal in the capital would be allotted as per the existing rules left by the previous government. "In case of any controversy over the existing rules, the allotted plots would be reconsidered after discussion with all concerned."
Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists ‘(BFUJ) president Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, secretary general Altaf Mahmud, DUJ general secretary Omar Farooq also spoke at the meeting.