It’s the Journalist’s who demand to bring order in the media : Information Minister

The Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud has mentioned that the journalists have demanded to bring order by removing the various irregularities in the media. As one of the journalists, I try to see things through those eyes and talk to the journalists and try to remove the chaos. In many cases discipline has come and the process is ongoing.

The minister was speaking as the chief guest at the annual general meeting of the Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) at the National Press Club on Thursday (16th September).

State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) Mollah Jalal and National Press Club President Farida Yasmin spoke as special guests under the chairmanship of DUJ President Quddus Afrad and Sajjad Alam Khan Tapu, General Secretary, DUJ, presented the annual report. Former BFUJ president Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul chaired the meeting.

Dr. Hasan Mahmud said there was a mess with the order of private TV channels, only the operators had to give application to the television channels. Now the channels are shown according to the start date of the broadcast. From October 1, foreign channels will not be allowed to show any advertisement without permission,and for that we are going to enforce the existing laws in the country. I have also informed the Minister of Information and Broadcasting of India.  Because a lot of Indian channels are shown here, through which advertisements are shown, which is illegal. I am also trying to bring discipline in the case of IP TV, the registration process will start very soon.

Dr. Hasan said, ‘Nowhere in the subcontinent was one-time assistance given to journalists during the Corona period. When Corona appeared in 2020, I tried my best to provide one-time support to journalists but without receiving any allocation from the Ministry of Finance, the unused money of our Ministry has been allocated to the Journalist Welfare Trust and a one-time payment of Tk 10,000 has been given to about three and a half thousand journalists. Then in 2021, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave a grant of Tk 10 crore to the Journalist Welfare Trust. This help is ongoing.

This welfare trust has been set up by Prime Minister daughter of Bangabandhu and now a policy has been drafted to help not only journalists but also their family members in medical treatment or education which, if finalized, will also benefit the families of journalists, the minister said.

A letter has been sent from the Financial Intelligence Unit of Bangladesh Bank asking for the bank accounts of the journalist leaders, I also tried to find out by looking at the newspaper, he said. “The government can, of course, summon accounts for any reason, it can also summon bank accounts,” he said. But I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. I know and know those whose bank accounts have been summoned. I also know the financial condition of many of them.

At this time, about the digital security law. Hasan Mahmud said, it is to give digital security to all the people of the country. We have such laws all over the world, including our neighboring countries, there are more stringent laws. If the character of a journalist or a housewife or anyone else is killed digitally, he will get redress under this law. That’s why digital security laws are needed. At the same time, it should be seen that this law does not hinder the journalists from performing their duties.

The information minister said that there is a need for freedom of the media, but care must be taken so that my freedom does not infringe on the freedom of others.

“The freedom of the media in Bangladesh is not the same in many developing countries,” he said. Investigative journalism is needed to prevent corruption, injustice, to bring order in the society, to open the third eye of the society, to look at the neglected person in the society, state and government. But protests against the news published in newspapers, on television or online have not yet been published.

Special Guest State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury in his speech wished success to the annual general meeting of Dhaka Journalists Union and said, those engaged in the great profession of journalism have a deep responsibility and duty towards the country and the nation.