Hasan urges media to play responsible role

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said media should play a responsible role along with enjoying freedom.

He was addressing, as the chief guest, a cheque distribution ceremony of welfare donation and Covid-19 period assistance for journalists in second phase of Bangladesh Journalists Welfare Trust at PIB auditorium here.

Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary, said few days ago a newspaper run a two-column report mentioning that the United Nations (UN) expressed concern over Bangladesh's press freedom.

Actually, the truth was that Irene Zubaida Khan expressed concern and she was one of 80 rapporteurs of the UN.

When a frontline newspaper published a report on the opinion of a single person from 80 persons with the headline "the United Nations expresses concern", was it journalism or exaggeration? he questioned.

Noting that none has to face question for violating journalistic ethics in Bangladesh, the minister said in Europe including the UK, responsible persons are fined for making fake news.

He said any sort of criticism should be objective.

Hasan said the welfare trust has become a place of trust to the journalist community as all are considered equally here in providing assistance.

The journalists who always write against the government and even gave speech to unseat the government in front of Press Club or other places were also given assistance from the fund and they are also getting now too.

Bangladesh Journalists Welfare Trust Managing Director Subhash Chanda Badal chaired the programme while Press Institute Bangladesh (PIB) Managing Director Zafar Wazed, BFUJ President Omar Faruque, former DUJ President Quddus Afrad, Dainik Sangbad Managing Editor Kashem Humayun, DUJ General Secretary Akhter Hossain and trustee board members also spoke.

Later, the minister and guests distributed cheques among journalists.