Staff Reporter :
The Newspaper Owners’ Association of Bangladesh, or NOAB, has demanded bank loans for newspapers to weather the financial shocks of the coronavirus crisis.
The association also asked Information Minister Hasan Mahmud to take immediate action to pay the bills of government supplements and advertisements published in newspapers during a view-exchanging programme at the Secretariat on Thursday.
“Besides bank loans, NOAB President AK Azad made a request to the information minister to initiate a stimulus package for newspaper hawkers, transport workers and agents,” according to the statement issued by the association.
About the demands of NOAB, the minister said, “A letter has already been sent to various government departments and agencies to clear the unpaid bills. We will issue another reminder in the coming week.”
“We will also talk to the Bangladesh Bank about the loan facilities. Since the newspaper is a service sector to me, I think you have opportunities to get facilities from the Ministry of Industries as well,” Hasan said.
The minister also urged newspapers to publish positive and inspiring news to keep the people’s spirit up amid the COVID-19 crisis.
