Objective views of the media strengthens democracy

Media has been playing a significant role in upholding the spirit of Liberation War, Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury said yesterday.

“It has been possible to disseminate countless glorious historic events of the Liberation War among generations through investigative reports by journalists,” she said.

She was speaking at the award giving ceremony of Sangbadik Bazlur Rahman Smriti Padak 2018 at the capital's Liberation War Museum (LWM).

LWM has been conferring the award to print and electronic media journalists since 2008 for reports on Liberation War.

This year, Kaler Kantho Special Correspondent Fakhrey Alam and Ekattor TV journalist Shilpi Mahalanbish received the award for their series of reports published throughout December 2018.

They received crests and Tk 1 lakh each as prize money.

Addressing the ceremony as chief guest, the Speaker hoped that the award would encourage them to become more responsible in their professional duties.

Newspaper's role is to highlight people's opinions and expectations, she said.

She said reports by journalists often encourage the masses to make informed decisions on different issues.

So, mass media's objective views and neutral reports also strengthen democracy, she added. 

Chaudhury said Bazlur Rahman was a witness of many important incidents during the Liberation War.

He will be remembered as a firm and freedom-loving individual as well as a pioneer in fearless journalism, she said.