DHAKA, Dec 9, 2021 (BSS) – Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) today called for restoring discipline in newspaper industry along with considering the demand of Newspaper Owners’ Association (NOAB) for providing incentive to newspapers.
Extending support to NOAB’s demand for giving the newspaper industry incentive, BFUJ President Omar Faruq and Secretary General Deep Azad, in a statement, said it is urgent to restore discipline in the newspaper industry.
They said former leaders of BFUJ demanded incentive for the entire mass media, including newspapers and televisions, when the Covid-19 broke out in the country.
“We call for restoration of discipline in the industry along with considering the demand of NOAB,” they said.
The BFUJ leaders said recently the NOAB during a meeting with the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) raised the crisis of the newspaper industry which is very much rational but as the representatives of the highest body of the professional journalists they want to highlight the picture of the other side of this crisis.
“BFUJ is observing with concern that most of the newspapers did not implement the government- declared 9th wage board award till now, many newspapers do not give appointment letters to journalists-employees and pay their regular salary, they are retrenching journalists without clearing their dues as per the law,” they added.
They said some newspapers are taking government advertisements at higher rates and importing newsprint showing ghost circulation on false declaration.
“We’ve no reservation to work with NOAB in realizing any incentive from the government through solving these crises,” said they added.
The BFUJ leaders demanded inclusion of representatives of journalist community in any discussion and taking any decision about newspaper or mass media.
The journalist leaders demanded formation of wage board for television journalists through enacting mass media employees’ law.
