Staff Reporter:
Information and Broadcasting Adviser Md Nahid Islam yesterday said that the interim government is aiming formation of a mass media reform commission soon.
“I am optimistic that we will be able to declare the formation of the mass media reform commission by the next week. The declaration is expected to come after the Chief Adviser’s returns home from the UN-GA in New York,” he said.
The adviser was addressing a view-exchange meeting with publishers, editors and other stakeholders of different newspapers, organized by Department of Films and Publication (DFP) at Tathya Bhaban in the capital.
Information Secretary (in-charge) Md Nazrul Islam addressed the meeting as special guest while DFP Director General Abul Kalam Mohammad Shamsuddin presided over this extraordinary event for the first time ever initiated by him.
Nahid said everyone wants freedom of mass media. “But, I want to keep a question that . . . is there any reason to get publicity in press in favor of the ousted fascist government? We want to ensure all freedom attaching priority to the interest of the country and the student-people uprising,” he added.
The adviser extended thanks to the newspaper publishers, editors and reporters for properly highlighting the incidents during the July upsurge.
The countrymen, he said, became depended on newspapers to get actual information during the students-mass upsurge. “So, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to them,” he said, adding that but some newspapers were in favour of the fascist government. The persons who played provocative role during the July upsurge will have to be brought to book.”
About the newspapers’ outstanding bills, Nahid said the government is trying to digitalize the bill pay-ment system to give hassle-free service.
DFP Director General Abul Kalam Mohammad Shamsuddin in his address elaborately described the long-standing problems the media facing and he ensured his efforts to resolve those, including payment of all arrears bills and recentralization of all government advertisements to get rid of unhealthy competi-tion and corruption.
The daily Jugantar editor Saiful Alam, the daily Manabzamin editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, the daily Kaler Kantha editor Hasan Hafiz, the Daily Sun editor Rezaul Karim, the daily Prothom Alo exec-utive editor Sajjad Sharif, the daily Naya Diganta executive editor Salauddin Babor, the Daily Star’s head of news Mizanur Rahman, the daily Ajker Pathrika managing editor Kamrul Hasan, the daily Ittefaq news editor Ashok Kumar Singha, the daily Sangram managing editor Nurunnabi, the daily Sangbad chief reporter Shahriar Karim, the daily Inqilab executive editor Fahima Bahauddin Shama and the daily Azadi managing editor Wahid Malek, among others, spoke at the event.
