Dhaka, Sep 24 (V7N) – Information Advisor Mahfuz Alam has said that while journalists currently work under the Ministry of Labor, their salaries are determined by the Ministry of Information, which he described as an “injustice.” He proposed that the responsibility of the newspaper wage board be transferred to the Labor Ministry.

He made the remarks at a discussion meeting on the draft of the Journalism Rights Protection Ordinance-2025 and the formation of the Newspaper Wage Board held on Wednesday afternoon.

The advisor noted that journalists have long been demanding a wage board, but emphasized that media owners must also agree since they play a key role in its implementation. He gave a 10-day deadline for the submission of plans, proposals, and arguments for or against the draft ordinance.

“If salaries are not increased, journalists will go astray. But if they are fairly paid, extortion and brokerage will decrease,” he said, adding that the ninth wage board has not yet been implemented due to the reluctance or lack of goodwill of newspaper owners.

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