Journalists have demanded a review of the Media Reform Commission’s recommendations, along with the implementation of a ‘No Wage Board, No Media’ policy and a minimum monthly pay of Tk 35,000 for journalists.
Journalists also stressed the need to implement the wage board for print, electronic and online media to improve the existing poor condition of the media.
They came up with the demands at a roundtable discussion titled ‘Review and next steps on the Media Reform Commission’s recommendations’ at Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital organised by Dhaka Reporters’ Unity and the Journalist Community of Bangladesh.
Chief adviser’s press secretary Shafiqul Alam at the programme said ‘Many people talk about mob violence. I will say again: when it is a legitimate protest, it should be called a protest. And when it is truly a mob, it should be called a mob.’
‘But if you call a protest a mob, then you are taking away the right to protest. Right now, many are making such arguments. By labelling every protest as a mob, they are trying to strip people of their right to protest—everyone must be aware of this,’ he said.
‘Those who are raising such arguments now, they did not utter a single word about the many mob incidents that occurred over the past 15 years,’ he added.
The press secretary agreed on the ‘No wage board, no media’ policy proposed by the journalists at the roundtable discussion.
Speaking about the journalists’ union, he said, ‘No union leader should become the editor of a newspaper. When they no longer hold the position of editor, they can again take up the role of a union leader. It is time to think about these matters.’
He said that journalists must be certified to ensure professionalism, and minimum salaries should be set at Tk 35,000.
If journalists faced insecurity at work, media owners should be held responsible and legal measures against owners could be introduced, he also said.
He also proposed that media houses should deposit Tk 10–15 crore for online outlets, Tk 20 crore for newspapers, and Tk 20–25 crore for television channels as security with the government—funds that could support journalists’ salaries in times of crisis.
JCB member secretary Md Mia Hossain in his keynote paper stated that journalists should be registered and provided with identity cards, while a uniform salary structure should be introduced for print and electronic media.
Additionally, a specific law should be enacted for the declaration of electronic and online media outlets, he also said.
DRU president Abu Saleh Akon said that structural reforms in the media had not taken place even after regime change, leaving journalists vulnerable to harassment.
Bangladesh Journalists Welfare Trust managing director M Abdullah suggested that journalist organisations like DRU and National Press Club should receive government recognition.
BFUJ president Obaidur Rahman Shaheen criticised the media commission’s report, calling it lacking in transparency and urging a full review of the report.
DRU general secretary Mainul Hassan Sohel observed that those who were directly involved with political parties and held positions should not ethically identify themselves as journalists.
‘The minimum salary for journalists should be Tk 35,000, while journalism should be recognised in the constitution as the fourth pillar of the state, and retirement benefits should be introduced,’ he said.
Former DRU president Sakhawat Hossain Badsha said that true media reform would not be possible if DRU representatives were excluded from the Media Reform Commission and other government committees on media.
He also stressed the need for a proper Journalist Protection Act.
Rafiqul Islam Azad, another former DRU president, emphasised the urgency of establishing a dedicated hospital for journalists.
DBC news editor Loton Ekram said that television and online outlets should be brought under the wage board framework, adding that television Target Rating Point, TRP in short, is as unreliable as the newspaper circulation figures were.
Harun Jamil, executive editor of Dhaka Mail, said that journalists must be given two weekly holidays.
