Journos offered money
In the name of transport fare, an NGO distributed money among the journalists who gathered to cover a press conference of the organisation at Dhaka Reporters' Unity yesterday.
Prodipan, an environmental organisation, invited the journalists through letters on Sunday to cover the event on “people oriented climate responsive forest policy: national level meeting with journalists”.
Minutes after end of the hour-long event, Prodipan officials offered journalists Tk 500 each, saying the amount was being given as the transport fare of the reporters.
“We gave the money as honorarium because the journalists had to spend money to arrive at the programme. Besides, we did not mark the programme as a press conference rather wanted to form a journalists' forum who will work with us on the issue in coming days”, said Ferdousur Rahman, president, Prodipan.
Shocked by the offer, many reporters left the auditorium, refusing the money.
Ahsan Titu, advocacy officer, Prodipan, who also presented a paper on the activities of the NGO on the occasion, tried to give money to The Daily Star Correspondent but failed as the correspondent refused to take it.
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