Staff Reporter :The government on Thursday urged the private television channels to telecast the country’s real situation and not to sensationalise any news on violence.Several ministers and the private Television channels’ representatives talked over the issue in the office of the Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu.Briefing reporters after the meeting, Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu said, “We have urged them to telecast the real situation and not to sensationalise news on violence.”The country’s trade and businesses are normal despite the violence being carried out in the name of a movement. “Some 50-60 thousand vehicles are plying different roads and highways across the country every day but media is not aware of that,” Amu claimed.Asked if they were giving any specific direction to the TV channels about telecasting news, the Industries Minister said, “This is not a direction. We have just urged them to project the real situation.”Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, Water Resources Minister Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud, Maasranga TV Managing Director Anjan Chowdhury, Boishakhi TV Chief Editor and CEO Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul, Mozammel Babu of Channel 71 and Ahmed Jubayer of Somoy TV were, among others, present at the meeting.At the briefing, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu said that this was our open discussion with the representatives of some private TV channels. We have urged them to transmit the right information to people and telecast the country’s real situation.Maasranga TV Managing Director Anjan Chowdhury said, ”We have agreed not to sensationalise the news on violence and subversive activities in the country…we won’t telecast those news which can harm the country’s image.”Anjan Chowdhury also said some cable operators are giving priority to some Indian channels. “The ministers told us at the meeting that the government will come up with a decision soon after holding a meeting in this regard,” he added.Meanwhile, Pro-BNP-Jamaat journalists organisations Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) on Thursday protested and condemned the decision of the government and accused the government of controlling the media. The leaders of both the organisations said this at a written statement jointly signed by BFUJ President Sawkat Mahmud and Secretary General M A Aziz and DUJ President Kabi Abdul Hai Sikder and General Secretary Jahangir Alam Prodhan.
