Md Rakel Islam, Bogura

The government has formed a selection committee to provide financial assistance to the families of journalists seriously injured or killed in accidents or while on duty, medical assistance to sick journalists, and financial assistance to disabled and indigent journalists. The committee includes Kalam Azad, General Secretary of Bogura Press Club and blBureau Chief of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha.

The committee was formed by an office order signed by Khadija Tahera Bobby, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The order issued on July 27 stated that the nine-member committee has been formed with the Managing Director of the Bangladesh Journalists Welfare Trust as the chairman.

The members of the committee are, Chief Information Officer (Department of Information), Joint Secretary (Press-2), Deputy Press Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office Md. Zahidul Islam Robi, Joint Secretary of the Finance Department Mohammad Rezaul Islam, Special Correspondent of the Daily Desh Pantar, Md. Rezaul Karim (Lablu), Former City Editor of the Daily Bangladesh Khabar Kausar Hossain Khondaker and General Secretary of the Bogra Press Club Md. Abul Kalam Azad (Kalam Azad). The Deputy Director (Admin and Information) of the Bangladesh Journalists' Welfare Trust will serve as the member-secretary.

According to the office order, the selection committee will scrutinize the applications following the Bangladesh Journalists Welfare Trust Rules, 2016. At the same time, it will be responsible for considering the rationale for the recommendation and properly following the guidelines of the sub-committee. It has been mentioned in the office order that it has the approval of the appropriate authority.