City Desk :
Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud urged the owners of private television channels to ensure health safety of broadcast journalists and pay their salaries and arrears. He made the call on Saturday while speaking at a meeting with the leaders of Broadcast Journalist Centre (BJC) at his Minto Road official residence in the city. “…many journalists of private TV channels are not getting their salaries and allowances regularly. I will request the TV channels’ boards of directors to pay salaries and arrears of their reporters and employees despite the problems they are facing in the current situation,” he said. Hasan, also Awami League Joint General Secretary, said many journalists have been working taking risks during the coronavirus pandemic. “Broadcast journalists are roaming from one place to another to collect news. Since the onset of the coronavirus outbreak, they have been doing their jobs sincerely,” he added.
Mentioning that some reporters have already been infected with the lethal virus, the information minister said many others are also staying in quarantines.
“They (reporters) are taking risk in covering the issue and now, we discussed how we can provide them assistance and ensure their health safety,” he said.
Hasan said the government is working on how the health safety of journalists could be ensured as they are working in the ongoing coronavirus crisis, putting their life at risk.
Thanking the journalists to reach objective news to the country’s people by taking risks during the ongoing adverse situation, the information minister lauded the role of the mainstream media, including newspapers and televisions, in preventing rumours over COVID-19. BJC President Rezwanul Haque Raja, its Secretary Shakil Ahmed, and senior broadcast journalists Syed Ishtiaque Reza, Nazrul Kabir and Shahnaz Sharmin were present at the meeting.
Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud urged the owners of private television channels to ensure health safety of broadcast journalists and pay their salaries and arrears. He made the call on Saturday while speaking at a meeting with the leaders of Broadcast Journalist Centre (BJC) at his Minto Road official residence in the city. “…many journalists of private TV channels are not getting their salaries and allowances regularly. I will request the TV channels’ boards of directors to pay salaries and arrears of their reporters and employees despite the problems they are facing in the current situation,” he said. Hasan, also Awami League Joint General Secretary, said many journalists have been working taking risks during the coronavirus pandemic. “Broadcast journalists are roaming from one place to another to collect news. Since the onset of the coronavirus outbreak, they have been doing their jobs sincerely,” he added.
Mentioning that some reporters have already been infected with the lethal virus, the information minister said many others are also staying in quarantines.
“They (reporters) are taking risk in covering the issue and now, we discussed how we can provide them assistance and ensure their health safety,” he said.
Hasan said the government is working on how the health safety of journalists could be ensured as they are working in the ongoing coronavirus crisis, putting their life at risk.
Thanking the journalists to reach objective news to the country’s people by taking risks during the ongoing adverse situation, the information minister lauded the role of the mainstream media, including newspapers and televisions, in preventing rumours over COVID-19. BJC President Rezwanul Haque Raja, its Secretary Shakil Ahmed, and senior broadcast journalists Syed Ishtiaque Reza, Nazrul Kabir and Shahnaz Sharmin were present at the meeting.
