Journos not getting information despite RTI act in operation

Speakers at a discussion have said the journalists are still not getting necessary information from bureaucrats despite the execution of Right to Information (RTI) act. The speakers said this at the discussion on 'Press Freedom and Responsibility' organised by South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) at the National Press Club in the city Saturday on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day, reports UNB. Chaired by SAFMA President Reazuddin Ahmed, the function was addressed, among others, by its Secretary General Zahiduzzaman Faruque, president of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) Ruhul Amin Gazi, BFUJ secretaries Shawkat Mahmud and Abdul Jalil Bhuiyan, president of South Asian Women Association in Media (SWAM) Rashida Amin, and former DUJ president Altaf Hossain and Saiful Islam Talukder. President of Media Commission Dr Mizanur Rahman Shelley presented the keynote paper in the discussion. Dr Shelley in his paper emphasised the need for creating a healthy social, political and economic environment so that journalists could perform their duties keeping in mind their responsibility towards the nation. The SAFMA president observed that journalists' unions are often found to be more interested in realising their wage-related demands instead of securing the press freedom. He said the press freedom should be exercised without hurting others' rights. The BFUJ president said the journalists are still subjected to harassment as their freedom is restricted either by the government or by the media owners.