New media bill contradicts labour law: NOAB
The proposed Mass Media Employees (Services Conditions) Bill conflicts with the prevailing judiciary, industrial law and the country's labour law, said the Newspaper Owners' Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) today.
Newspapers, including the freedom of the press and freedom of expression, would suffer if the law, which was placed in parliament on March 28, is passed, it said in a statement signed by its president AK Azad and vice-president ASM Shahidullah Khan.
The bill was sent to the parliamentary committee on the information and broadcasting ministry for scrutiny, which has been asked to report within 60 days.
Generally, journalism is riskier than other professions. And the digital security law has instilled fear in journalists from exercising independent thinking.
"Now if the proposed law is passed, the newspaper as an industry will be sicker. At the same time, it would be disgraceful for journalists," said the newspaper owners' platform.
The Editors' Council, senior journalists and journalists' union have expressed the view that 37 out of the 54 sections of the proposed law are not journalist-friendly.
The proposed law calls for the establishment of media courts consisting of a working district judge, a media owner and a media worker to settle disputes over arrears.
There is already a labour court for the settlement of arrears of journalists and any other dispute.
In addition, the Bangladesh Press Council, formed by a retired judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, has been working to control the newspaper and protect the freedom of speech in Bangladesh.
It also works to maintain and revise the standards of newspapers and news agencies and for the protection and preservation of the freedom of the press.
Therefore, it is possible to supervise all the activities of the newspaper through the existing industrial law, Bangladesh labour law, press council and the department of films and publications.
"There is no need for a new law," Noab said.
Since its inception in 2004, Noab has been playing an important role in helping the country's newspaper industry to flourish.
Due to Noab's persistent demands, the government declared the newspaper an 'industry' in 2014. But it is not getting the facilities afforded to an industry.
For instance, despite repeated pleas, the newspaper industry did not get any help from the government during the pandemic as the other industries did.
"The newspaper industry is going through a critical period today due to the impact of Covid."
In 2020, the import price of newsprint was about $500 per ton. It has exceeded $1,000 now.
On the other hand, digital reality poses a major challenge to print newspapers in terms of getting readership and business.
Amid the crisis, the Mass Media Employees Bill was placed in parliament.
"No one could have imagined that our national history and heritage-enriched newspapers and journalism would face such a situation today. Our newspapers had an unforgettable role in the struggle for Liberation War and freedom from the decade of 1950 to 1970."
Newspapers have also played an important role in bringing back the democratic trend in the politics of Bangladesh in the nineties, it added.
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