The 51st anniversary of Black Day for newspapers will be observed today with different programmes.
On 16 June, 1974, the then Awami League government led by country’s founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman decided to shut down all print media except two government-run newspapers—Dainik Bangla and Bangladesh Times and two others privately owned ones.
The then government also took over the ownership of the two privately owned newspapers—Daily Ittefaq and Daily Observer to run them as its entities. Due to the closures of newspapers, hundreds of journalists lost their livelihoods instantly. Â
Factions of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists and the Dhaka Union of Journalists will jointly hold a discussion marking the day for newspapers at Zahur Hossain Chowdhury Hall at the National Press Club at 10:30am today, said a press release.