Govt working to create free atmosphere for press: Arafat

City Desk :
State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat on Saturday said that the government wants to create a space for journalists to allow them to work in a free, fair and congenial environment.
“We want to ensure necessary space for all media so that they can work freely to facilitate free journalism and freedom of expression in line with the commitment of our Liberation War,” he said, reports BSS.
The state minister said this at the ‘Meet the Reporters’ programme organized by the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) at its Nasrul Hamid Auditorium with DRU President Syed Shukur Ali Shuvo in the chair.
DRU Acting General Secretary Md Mizanur Rahman conducted the event.
The state minister said the fair journalism practices will actually benefit the pro-liberation forces to fight against extremism, militancy and communal politics as well as falsehood and disinformation upon which the politics of anti-liberation forces is based on.
Pointing out the government’s commitment to ensure unhindered free flow of information, Arafat said, a message has already been conveyed to different tiers of the administration that the government wants to apply the Right to Information (RTI) Act more effectively by strengthening the Information Commission (IC).
Noting that lack of information creates the scope of sprouting misinformation and disinformation, the state minister said the government is working to bring necessary reform to allow journalists to get information from government sources within the shortest possible time.
Underling the steps taken by the present government for journalists’ welfare, the state minister said, “Bangladesh Journalist Welfare Trust is the real manifestation of Sheikh Hasina’s government to ensure welfare of the journalists.
“We are working with the aim to ensure that the congenial atmosphere for free journalism, free-thinking and freedom of expression as well as welfare of the journalists,” he said.
Arafat sought the cooperation of the journalists to preventing any falsehood against the government in the name of so-called criticism saying media must criticize the government if any mistake is done.