Information and Broadcasting Advisor Mahfuz Alam believes that fact-finding is needed on the activities of the media during the authoritarian government.
He said this at a special discussion meeting held at the TIB office in the capital on Sunday to mark World Press Freedom Day.
The Information and Broadcasting Advisor said, “Accountability is needed in the media in Bangladesh. The protection law for journalism is implementable. A review is underway, and we are trying to do that. I personally support making Betar, BTV and BSS a national broadcasting organization. I am in favor of setting government advertising prices.”
He said, “Fact-finding is needed on the activities of the media in the past 15 years. Due to politicization, journalists in the houses have suffered the most. We have formed a task force with the DFP to re-determine the price of advertisements and licenses in newspapers. Most houses do not have this policy of paying taxes to the state.”
Media Reform Commission chief Kamal Ahmed has said that if journalists are not provided with financial benefits at the event, then dishonest ways of earning money by media workers will not stop.
He also said, “Those who say it is impossible to raise the minimum salary of journalists to grade nine are mainly eager to take advantage of government advertisements without paying fair salaries to journalists and employees.”
Meanwhile, TIB chief Iftekharuzzaman has questioned the government's silent role in this matter, condemning the recent criticism of the Women's Reform Commission and the ugly comments made against women.
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
