Enjoy freedom, but be more responsible
Highlighting her government's various steps for the welfare of the mass media and journalists, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday called upon all concerned to be more responsible while discharging their duties.
"You would enjoy the facilities, but won't perform your responsibility -- it's not proper ... everybody has responsibility towards the country and the society," she said.
The PM was addressing the foundation-laying ceremony of 31-storey “Bangabandhu Media Complex” on the Jatiya Press Club premises yesterday, which was the 62nd founding anniversary of the club.
Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, Prime Minister's Media Advisor Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Editors' Council Chairman Golam Sarwar and General Secretary of the club Quamrul Islam Chowdhury addressed the function, among others.
Jatiya Press Club (JPC) President Muhammad Shafiqur Rahman chaired the function, while JPC Vice-President and President of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul conducted it.
Ministers, parliament members, political leaders, editors and senior journalists of the print and electronic media and senior government officials were present.
Earlier, Tagore exponent Rezwana Chowdhury Banya rendered two welcome songs -- Banglar Maati Banglar Jol and Baro Asha Kore Eshichi Go Kaachhe Deke Lao.
The PM said her government since 1996 has been extending support to the journalists, and declared the newspaper industry as a "service sector” and enacted 18 acts and rules for the welfare of the mass media and journalists.
"We have formed welfare trust act for the journalists and as well as the Information Commission Law and the Right to Information Law," she said.
Hasina said her government after assuming office in 1996 had opened television channels and radio stations in the private sector which created job opportunities and competitiveness.
"The people and performers involved in the sector are being benefited along with the journalists," she said.
The PM claimed that there is adequate freedom of the press in the country and criticised those who are spreading propaganda.
In this connection, she questioned that if there is no freedom of the press, how those who are speaking on the issue got the freedom of speech?
She said 750 daily newspapers are published in the country, while there are 24 TV channels in operation and 44 more channels have applied for licence. Besides, she said, there is a number of radio stations in the private sector.
Hasina said her party Bangladesh Awami League was founded through a long struggle and the support of the grassroots people, adding that the party went to power through the mandate of the people.
“But it is very unfortunate that we have to compete with some parties which are not born out of the people and soil. These parties were born in the cantonment and grabbed state power through coup, conspiracy, and killing and violating the constitution," she said.
The prime minister said it is unfortunate that such parties which usurped the state power ruled the country for long 21 years.
That is why the people of the country did not witness development and progress and their fate did not change, she said.
Reiterating her firm commitment to build Bangladesh as a proud nation, Hasina sought cooperation of the journalist community in this regard.
Pointing to the book "Bangabandhu's Unfinished Memoirs", the PM termed herself a member of the journalist community as Bangabandhu, her father, did journalism side by side with pursuing politics.
She also recalled chronological historic development of the Jatiya Press Club starting from 1954, saying Bangabandhu himself was involved in different parts of its history.
Terming terrorists “the enemy of mass media and democracy”, Hasanul Haq Inu called upon the journalists of the country to unmask the face of patronisers of the terrorists for the sake of ensuring people's security.
Mentioning that the mass media and democracy are synonymous, the information minister said anti-democratic elements and terrorists are hatching conspiracies to halt the country's development.
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