State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat said that all media including electronic, print and online media will be included in the media worker law. He conveyed this information during an exchange of views with the leaders of the Dhaka Journalist Union in the meeting room of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting at the Secretariat on Tuesday (July 9).
Dhaka Journalist Union President Sohel Haider Chowdhury, Senior Vice President Nazrul Islam Mithu, General Secretary Aktar Hossain and other leaders were present on the occasion.
At that time, the current government under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina commented on these initiatives to ensure the protection of professional journalists. State Minister Mohammad Ali Arafat said that under the leadership of Bangabandhu’s daughter, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, media has expanded greatly in the last fifteen years. This has resulted in a lot of employment. Many people are getting opportunities to work here. However, a negative aspect of this is that professional journalists are suffering as some amateur journalists are produced.
He also said that the government wants journalists not to be fired suddenly without any notice, similarly no journalist should quit without any notice. The government wants to ensure a place for fairness in the media.
Stating that it is not the government’s intention to control journalists, journalism and mass media, the state minister said that if there was an aim of control, the government would not have increased the number of mass media. But the government’s intention is to protect professional journalists, so that anyone can’t come to journalism. So that professional journalists do not have to take the responsibility of unprofessional journalists.
At this time he also said that the government wants to protect the practice of journalism with professionalism. Government will work inclusively with all stakeholders towards this goal.
The state minister also said that all media including electronic, print and online media will be included in the Media Act. It will be a universal law. In this law, everyone related to the media will get protection during their employment. All the protections of labor laws will be ensured under this act.
He said that the government really wants the media to stand on a solid foundation, that the media will highlight the mistakes and failures of the government. Genuine criticism helps the government to correct its mistakes. We don’t fear constructive criticism, but we hate misleading people with lies.
