Khulna, Jan 14 (V7N)- The Media Reform Commission held a meeting at the conference room of the Khulna District Commissioner today (Tuesday) afternoon. The chief guest was Kamal Ahmed, head of the Media Reform Commission.

The chief guest said at the meeting that the commission will recommend suitable policies to enable the media to play its role properly. Only those who survive in the journalism competition by following the laws, rules and regulations correctly will be accepted. Without healthy competition, the media will not develop normally. There is a strong tendency to use the media for personal and business interests or to exert political influence in the country. There should be a minimum salary guarantee for the country's media workers. If journalists do not have financial security, they will not have the mentality to work independently. Journalists outside Dhaka practically do not get the facilities and benefits of the wage board. Those who get it are lucky.

He further said that in the field of newspaper publishing, there are many positive contents in the law and policy, including the qualifications and experience of the editor. However, those who have run the government in the past have not followed the policy themselves. That is why these problems have arisen. They have violated the law in many cases to please the patrons. By abusing political power, influence has been exerted in the preparation of the DFP media list regarding the number of newspaper circulation. We, the owners of the media, editors, and media workers, are all partners in the injustice of corruption and violation of rules. That is why such an anarchic situation has arisen today. In television and newspaper media, those who are appointed as reporters in the district are again given the responsibility of collecting advertisements. He said that in the last 15 years, many media organizations were closed down unjustly. As a result, those who were laid off and became unemployed are eligible to claim compensation. At the same time, the cases filed against journalists under the Digital Security Act need to be withdrawn quickly.

Participants in the program said that there is a huge gap in the facilities of journalists working in the capital and journalists in the rural areas. It is necessary to ensure equality of opportunity for all. Effective initiatives are needed to implement the wage board. The opportunity to use the media or its employees for party influence or political purposes must be stopped.

Media Reform Commission members Akhtar Hossain Khan, Jimmy Amir, Titu Dutta Gupta, Abdullah Al Mamun, Begum Kamrunnesa Hasan and others were present at the exchange of views. About 150 media workers from 10 districts of Khulna division participated in the exchange of views.

END/SDA/AJ