Play store
State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Yaser Khan Chowdhury has said the government will take necessary steps to implement the Wage Board Award for the welfare of journalists, and the issue may be raised in the Cabinet if necessary.
He made the remarks at an exchange of views with leaders of the Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) at the meeting room of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Sunday.
The state minister said ensuring the protection and welfare of journalists is essential, as they play an important role in providing accurate information to the public. Without adequate facilities and benefits, he said, good journalists may lose interest in the profession and it may become difficult to produce new quality journalists.
“There has been a deadlock over the Wage Board for a long time. The ninth Wage Board was not properly implemented. Alongside demands for the 10th Wage Board, the issue of implementing the ninth Wage Board has also come up for discussion,” he said.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is discussing the matter with the Ministry of Labour and other relevant authorities, he said, adding that the initiative would be strengthened further.
Yaser Khan Chowdhury also urged media owners to be sincere about the rights and welfare of journalists. He said government declarations alone would not bring the desired benefits if the concerned media organisations failed to implement them.
On the need to define who qualifies as a journalist, he said professional journalists who have been working in the field for years are increasingly facing threats from people who falsely identify themselves as journalists on online portals and social media. Such practices, he said, harm genuine journalists as well as the public and democracy.
He urged journalist organisations to jointly submit proposals on who should be recognised as a journalist.
Regarding the Cyber Security Act, the state minister said the law was not being formulated to control the media or prevent journalists from writing. Its main objective is to ensure public safety, he said.
He said cyber security was necessary to address incidents involving harassment through fake social media accounts and the spread of false and misleading information that can cause harm to people.
The government is considering a proposal from journalists that court permission should be obtained before taking legal action against a media outlet or journalist whose published report unintentionally violates the law, he said. Discussions are underway on the wording and provisions that could be incorporated in this regard.
The state minister further said the government believes in media freedom and freedom of expression and would not interfere in how the media operate. The government is working to ensure an environment in which journalists can work independently, he added.
He urged journalists to submit their demands in writing, saying this would make it easier for the government to take steps toward implementation and follow-up action. He also stressed the need to continue such consultations with journalist organisations.
At the meeting, DUJ President Shahidul Islam said journalists work day and night to bring news to the public and often perform their duties at the risk of their lives. Yet, he said, many journalists are being deprived of fair remuneration. He urged the government to take initiatives to implement the Wage Board.
DUJ General Secretary Khursheed Alam said content creators should not identify themselves as journalists and called for action against people who open Facebook pages and claim to be journalists. He also sought coordinated government initiatives for journalists’ welfare.
DUJ Joint General Secretary Didarul Alam Didar said journalists had long been deprived of their rights due to the failure to implement the Wage Board. He demanded the immediate announcement of the 10th Wage Board and urged the government to take strict measures, including withholding government advertisements and supplements from newspapers and media outlets that fail to implement the Wage Board.
