Friday, 29 March, 2024, 6:03 AM
Advance Search
Home

Editors’ Forum submits 10-point demand to Information Minister

Published : Friday, 22 January, 2021 at 12:00 AM  Count : 373

A team of Bangladesh Editors Forum, led by Chief Advisor of the forum meets Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud at the latter's office at the Secretariat on Thursday. The Forum submits 10-point demand to the minister.	photo: pid

A team of Bangladesh Editors Forum, led by Chief Advisor of the forum meets Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud at the latter's office at the Secretariat on Thursday. The Forum submits 10-point demand to the minister. photo: pid

Bangladesh Editors' Forum on Thursday urged the government to pay arrear bills of the newspapers within three months and stop allocating public advertisements and supplements to newspapers with irregular circulation cancelling their media enrolment.
A delegation led by the Chief Adviser of the Forum and also the Editor of the Daily Observer Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury placed the demands at a meeting with Information Minister Dr Hassan Mahmud at the Secretariat. Forum's Convener Rafiqul Islam Ratan and Member Secretary Faruque Ahmed Talukder were also present.
In the meeting, former Media Adviser to the Prime Minister Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury placed 10-point demands on behalf of the print media.
Responding to the demands of the Forum, Information Minister Dr Hassan Mahmud assured them of considering the demands after necessary assessment. He welcomed the formation of the Editors' Forum which is committed to the spirit of the War of Liberation.
Mentioning the government's pro-people initiatives and saving the people from Covid-19 pandemic, the Minister urged the media to publish the issues elaborately, so that people can know the matter and respond to the government initiatives.
While presenting the demands, Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury said most newspapers in the country are facing constraint to pay their staff and meeting up other necessary expenses due to fund crisis in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic. But, they have huge arrears with the government. If the government pays the dues, the media houses can survive the present crisis.
The Forum has also demanded increased number of advertisements including publishing full text of e-tender documents in six national Bengali, two English dailies and two at the district levels. The Forum demanded to distribute all supplements through the Department of Film and Publications (DFP) and stop the supplements to those newspapers which are not regularly published and pay salary to journalists and employees regularly.
Other demands are formation of committee incorporating a representative of the Forum amending the present arrangement of distribution of government supplements and public advertisements. The Forum demanded to include a representative of the Forum in all committees to be formed under the Information Ministry and give declaration of a newspaper after examining its editor's educational qualifications and 15 years working experience certificates.
Editors of more than 30 daily newspapers were present and exchanged views with the Information Minister.
State Minister Dr Murad and Principal Information Officer (PIO) were also present at the meeting.










Latest News
Most Read News
Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Online: 41053014; Advertisement: 41053012.
E-mail: info©dailyobserverbd.com, news©dailyobserverbd.com, advertisement©dailyobserverbd.com, For Online Edition: mailobserverbd©gmail.com
  [ABOUT US]     [CONTACT US]   [AD RATE]   Developed & Maintenance by i2soft