President hopes payscale for journos will be revised

President Abdul Hamid emphasises concerted efforts of the global community in mitigating the impacts of climate change. Star file photo

Expecting due government attention to pay scale disparities between one announced recently for public servants and the existing one for journalists, President Abdul Hamid yesterday urged media persons to contribute to Bangladesh's continued "democratic march forward".

"Mass media is the fourth estate. The nation expresses its unrevealed hopes, expectations and desires through it," he said, adding that the media fulfills its duties by identifying underperforming government branches.

In turn, journalists face the wrath of others but "this is an important job and in its absence, democracy remains incomplete. So, the mass media is very important for building the nation," he said.

The president was addressing the inauguration of the Dhaka Union of Journalists' (DUJ) biennial conference in the capital's Osmani Memorial Auditorium.

"Mass media and democracy are complementary to each other, and one cannot be complete without the other. When democracy flourishes, mass media also flourishes," he observed.

Hamid said, "So you will have to work with devotion and sincerity...You must keep in mind that no individual, institute or nation fall victim to unnecessary harassment for any of your reports."

He also urged journalists to prioritise national interests rather than the publicity and expansion of organisations they worked for.

Mentioning that journalists tend to sense a disparity whenever pay scales for government employees are announced, he said, "I can assure you, as the president, my door is open for you always. I must do whatever is possible on my part."

Though the present age is dubbed that of information revolution, it has downsides too, he observed, adding that the challenge now was to responsibly use this ever-expanding technology for people's welfare.

"The role of media men is very important in this regard," he added.

Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, the prime minister's Media Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Jatiya Press Club President Muhammad Shafiqur Rahman, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists acting president Zafar Wazed and DUJ acting president Atiqur Rahman Chowdhury and General Secretary Quddus Afrad also spoke.