Elderly journos to get govt’s monthly support

Staff Reporter :

The interim government has launched a plan to provide a monthly allowance of Tk10,000 to journalists aged above 65 who are financially insolvent or have limited income sources.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Muhammad Abdullah, Managing Director of the Bangladesh Journalist Welfare Trust (BJWT), said, “The BJWT has prepared a draft policy for this initiative and submitted it to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for approval.”

He added that an inter-ministerial meeting will be held on 9 October to finalise the draft.
Abdullah noted that while the initial proposal suggested Tk15,000 as the monthly allowance, the ministry later recommended fixing it at Tk10,000.

“In the first phase, senior journalists from divisional and district levels will be included under this benefit scheme. Over time, both the coverage and the amount of the allowance will be increased,” he said.

According to BJWT sources, eligible applicants must complete a prescribed form and provide documentation proving at least 25 years of professional experience in journalism.
In the event of a recipient’s death, a one-time payment equivalent to four months of allowance will be provided to the nominee, concluding the benefit.