Bangladesh
Journalist Law Media Workers Law to be amended: Information Minister
Dhaka, March 1: Journalists disagree with the Media Workers (Terms of Service) Act, 2018, and such issues will be identified and amended at a parliamentary committee meeting, said Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hassan Mahmud. Stating that there is an opportunity to rectify the issues of disagreement, he said that the media workers law will be for the protection of journalists. In the end, no one should disagree with this law.
The information minister was speaking as the chief guest at the biennial general meeting of Dhaka Journalists Union 2022 at the National Press Club on Tuesday (March 1).
He said, "I have talked to the chairman of the parliamentary committee (Hasanul Haque Inu) about the need for some amendments in this law. There is a lot of misunderstanding about this. That is not desirable."
He further said that the government was not interfering in the freedom of press and independent dissemination of news in electronic media. However, in order to get government facilities, the latest ninth weight board has to be implemented. Action will be taken against the owner who is not giving the wage board by bringing the order from the court. As if it is effective quickly.
The Information Minister said the present journalist-friendly Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has formed the Bangladesh Journalist Welfare Trust for the welfare of journalists across the country. Through which the government is providing special financial and medical facilities to the sick, indigent and injured journalists. The trust will soon have a policy to ensure that real journalists are properly protected.
Regarding the suspension of advertisements and other facilities provided by the government till the wage board of journalist leaders is implemented, Dr. Hassan said, "A decision will be taken after meeting the leaders on the issue."
"There is a long-standing accumulated chaos in the media," he said. "They are being solved by identifying them one by one. We have stopped advertising on foreign channels, which is benefiting the owners. Their channel has been serialized, so the cable operators no longer can take them hostage."
