The Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mr. Mustafa Jabbar said digitization has ended the era of pen and pad in journalism. The use of digital tools and the acquisition of digital skills are now essential for journalism. Digital media is constantly enriched with many times more data than conventional media. Presenting information to readers and viewers in audio, video or print versions is also a big challenge for journalism in the smart age.
The minister expressed his views while speaking as the chief guest at the ‘Third Journalism Students Fest-2023’ program organized by the Bangladesh Journalism Students Council at the TSC Auditorium of Dhaka University on Sunday.
The program was inaugurated by the former Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University. A.M.S. Arefin Siddique.
President of Bangladesh Journalism Students Council Md. Hedayetul Islam presided over the event, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Barrister Biplab Barua, President of National Press Club Farida Yasmin, Associate Professor of Journalism and Media Studies Department of Jahangir Nagar University Rakib Ahmed and Professor of Mass Communication and Journalism Department of Dhaka University Dr. Md. Mofizur Rahman and others spoke.
Posts and Telecommunications Minister highlighted the need of smart people for smart Bangladesh and said that smart people do not mean in clothes or manners, smart people are people with skills in using digital devices.
Chairman of Abas, the country’s first digital news agency, journalist Mr. Mustafa Jabbar said, when I started journalism in 1972, I had to work in the library. Now there is no need to go to the library, the required information can be found by browsing the search engine. On May 16, 1987, I started the journey of writing Bengali on the computer instead of the lead font. Then there was radio and BTV outside of paper newspapers. Today’s Bangladesh is not in that condition. The digital device that is connected is itself a journalist.
Describing the experience of the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona in 2019, this pioneer of digital technology development said, We are living in a technology age, technology will expand further. We have to prepare with time. He said, Europe-America thinks that they will fill the lack of people with technology, but for us, technology is not a substitute for people. Instead we will invent and use technology. That is, we have to move forward in the mix of technology and people.
He said that the progress made in the last 14 years should be maintained in continuation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visionary Digital Bangladesh program. Mr. Mustafa Jabbar, the promoter of Bengali language on computer, expressed the hope of establishing a smart Bangladesh with the ability to travel on the highway of digital connectivity, said that the benefits of digital Bangladesh have reached the doorstep of the grassroots people; this year, online purchase of all train tickets for Eid journey, land parcels and people’s immobile life journey through digital connection during Corona. It has been possible to keep active.
We have reached 98% of the country’s 4G mobile phone network. High speed broadband internet connection has reached almost every union in the country. We have taken up the initiative of launching Bangabandhu Satellite-2 and connecting the third submarine cable. In the year 2008, only seven and a half Gbps internet was used in the country, which has now increased to 4100 Gbps. Twelve and a half crore people are using the internet now instead of only eight lakh internet users in the country at that time. He said, Bangabandhu sowed the seeds of digital Bangladesh by acquiring the membership of ITU and UPU in 1973 and establishing the geo-satellite center at Bethbunia on June 14, 1975. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina converted the seeds planted by Bangabandhu into saplings from 1996 to 2001. In the last fourteen years since 2009, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has transformed it into a great beauty today.
Speakers in the event emphasized the need to acquire digital skills to face the future challenges of journalism.