Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Sunday said that the government has taken a decision to provide assistance to 2,000 more journalists as part of its financial assistance to the newsmen to help them tide over their problems amid the Coronavirus crisis.
The minister, also the chairman of Bangladesh Journalist Welfare Trust, informed this to reporters after an emergency meeting of the trust at the meeting room of the ministry at secretariat in the capital, reports BSS.
Terming journalists as the front fighters during the ongoing epidemic, Hasan extended thanks to them and prayed for the eternal peace of those (journalists) who died of COVID-19 and coronavirus-like symptoms, and sought early recovery of those infected with the lethal virus.
He said the emergency meeting was called during the lockdown for the second wave of the pandemic as how ‘we could help the journalists on behalf of the government.’
He said the government has taken a decision to provide special assistance to 2,000 journalists with each getting Taka 10,000.
“Besides, about 200 journalists would get regular assistance from the trust this year,” said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.
The minister said a total of 3,350 journalists, who have recently become jobless, remained out of jobs and are not getting their wages for long, have received the special assistance in first phase during the pandemic as per the directive of the Prime Minister.
He gave thanks to the leaders of journalists’ unions to make the lists as per his directives without considering the opinions of beneficiaries.
Hasan said the Prime Minister stands beside the journalists of Bangladesh during the ongoing COVID-19 situation and there is no such example in neighbouring countries, like India, Pakistan and Nepal, of providing supports to journalists. India only assisted the journalists who died, he added.
Replying to a query over termination of journalists, the minister said it is really very regrettable and unacceptable. “I know that the media is also facing many problems like other businesses during the prevailing COVID-19 situation. But I urged the organisations (media outlets) from the very beginning to consider the issue on humanitarian ground not business ground. But many journalists were regrettably terminated,” he added.
He said discussions are going on and the journalists’ unions are also trying to address the problem where the journalists were terminated recently.
The minister hoped that the concerned authorities would reinstate the retrenched newsmen.