Staff Reporter :
Information and Broadcasting Adviser Md. Mahfuj Alam on Wednesday said the government is making sincere efforts to frame an ordinance that will ensure the rights of journalists.
He made the remarks while speaking at a discussion held at Tathya Bhaban in the capital on the formation of a newspaper wage board and the drafting of an ordinance to protect journalists’ rights.
Mahfuj expressed optimism that the ordinance could be finalized within the tenure of the current interim government. He said the authorities are now reviewing different aspects of the draft ordinance recommended by the Media Reform Commission to uphold journalists’ rights.
He stressed that opinions from stakeholders must be taken into account before finalizing the draft. In this regard, he urged journalist organizations and media houses to submit written feedback and proposals within the next 10 days.
On the newspaper wage board issue, Mahfuj noted that several ministries are involved in its implementation. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, he said, is working to overcome the obstacles in this process. He called upon all concerned to submit clear and specific recommendations to ensure the proper implementation of the wage board.
Highlighting inconsistencies in newspaper circulation, Mahfuj underscored the importance of resolving them. He also announced that the rate of newspaper advertisements would be increased and mentioned that the ministry has already taken steps to clear advertising arrears.
According to him, arrears in the advertising sector stood at Tk 75 crore during the previous government, while the current figure has come down to Tk 36 crore. The ministry is actively working to clear the outstanding dues, he added.
The adviser further emphasized the need to raise journalists’ salaries, saying that ensuring fair pay would resolve many of the problems the media sector is facing. He appealed to media houses to increase journalists’ wages to a reasonable level.
During the discussion, journalist leaders pointed out that under the existing law, journalists are still treated as workers, which they no longer accept. They proposed that the authority to look after journalists’ interests should rest solely with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, rather than being spread across multiple ministries.
The meeting was attended by Information and Broadcasting Secretary Mahbuba Farjana, Principal Information Officer (PIO) Md. Nizamul Kabir, BSS Managing Director and Chief Editor Mahbub Morshed, DFP Director General Khaleda Begum, PIB Director General Faruk Wasif, Journalists’ Welfare Trust Managing Director Mohammad Abdullah, Jatiya Press Club President Hasan Hafiz, BFUJ Acting President Obaidur Rahman Shahin, Secretary General Kader Gani Chowdhury, DUJ President Shahidul Islam, DRU General Secretary Mynul Hasan Sohel, as well as representatives from various ministries and journalist organizations.
