Sylhet Bureau

Media Reform Commission chief Kamal Ahmed said that there needs to be a minimum salary guarantee for media workers. Those who run the media are encouraging corruption by not resolving their financial crisis.

He said these at a view-exchange meeting with the journalists of the print and electronic media of the division at the District Shilpakala Academy auditorium in Sylhet on Sunday.

Commission members Shamsul Haque Zahid, Begum Kamrunnesa Hasan and Abdullah Al Mamun were present at the view-exchange meeting chaired by Media Reform Commission chief Kamal Ahmed.

Stating that the overall picture of the crisis in the industry is very disappointing, journalist Kamal Ahmed said that the reason for the lack of trust in the media of the general readers, viewers and listeners of Bangladesh will be found out. Based on that public opinion survey, the Media Reform Commission will prepare the policy for reforming the print and electronic media.

The opinion of the stakeholders will be of utmost importance in the Media Reform Commission, said the head of the Media Reform Commission, if the salaries and allowances of the journalists are ensured and the journalism policies are implemented, corruption will be reduced. People's trust in print and electronic media will be restored.

The head of the Reform Commission, journalist Kamal Ahmed, also said that ways will be found to stop the frauds related to government advertisements in newspapers, determination of circulation numbers and underground newspapers. In addition, the Reform Commission will also make recommendations on the loopholes in the good news regarding the implementation of wage boards at the local and national levels.

Addressing the journalist representatives, he said that this Reform Commission has been formed to make the media independent and strong. The commission will make recommendations on formulating suitable policies so that the media are able to play their role properly. The head of the Media Reform Commission, journalist Kamal Ahmed, called for continuing to put pressure on the elected government to implement the recommendations made by the commission regarding reforms.

More than a hundred media workers from print, electronic and online media working in four districts of Sylhet division attended the exchange of views and presented their proposals on reforms.