National Editors Council debuts

An organisation called the National Editors Council (NEC) has emerged with the aim of protecting the independence of the press, improving the quality of journalism and protecting the professional interests of editors.

The organisation was formed at a meeting of editors of various national and regional dailies at the office of the daily Amar Desh in the capital on Tuesday.

A 13-member committee of the organisation has been formed with Jai Jai Din Editor Shafiq Rehman as the convener and Amar Desh Editor Mahmudur Rahman as the joint convener.

The others on the committee are: Naya Diganta Editor Salah Uddin Muhammad Babar, Dainik Jugantor Editor Abdul Hai Sikder, Kaler Kantho Editor Hasan Hafiz, Daily New Nation Editor Mokarram Hossain, Pratidiner Bangladesh Editor Maruf Kamal Khan Sohel, Sangram Editor Azam Mir Shahidul Ahsan, WADA Editor Shafiqul Alam, Manab Kantho Editor Shahidul Islam, Loksamaj Editor Shantanu Islam Sumit, Daily People’s View Editor Osman Gani Mansur and Jalalabad Editor Muktabis Un Noor.

The editors expressed the need to form a new organisation to end the decade-and-a-half-long decline of the media under fascism.

The meeting decided to formulate a constitution for the organisation, conduct training programmes for journalists to achieve professional excellence, and organize a national convention of editors of national and regional dailies as soon as possible.