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The Bangladesh Press Council wants the authority to register and certify journalists, as well as impose financial penalties on editors, publishers and journalists over published news reports.
It has also proposed requiring newspaper editors to hold at least a bachelor’s degree, receive relevant training and have a minimum of 10 years of journalism experience.
The proposals, aimed at protecting press freedom and ensuring professional safeguards for journalists, were presented at a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Tuesday.
However, a committee member told bdnews24.com that although the proposals were raised, they were not discussed at the meeting.
Chaired by Amanullah Aman, the committee meeting included an agenda to make the activities of offices and agencies under the ministry more dynamic and people-oriented.
The Press Council’s draft proposals call for amendments to the Press Council Act, 1974, and the Printing Presses and Publications (Declaration and Registration) Act, 1973. They include 19 proposed amendments to the Press Council Act and seven to the printing and publication law.
Bangladesh Press Council Secretary Md Abdus Sabur Khan told bdnews24.com that the ministry had sought written proposals on possible amendments to the 1974 law.
In response, council members met to identify the provisions requiring changes and submitted their recommendations to the ministry, he said.
The ministry later compiled proposals from its own departments and agencies and sent them to the parliamentary committee for consideration.
Asked about the proposed powers to register journalists and impose fines, Sabur Khan said the council members had discussed the issues and made decisions on the recommendations.