Capacity Building of Media

Dialogue on Ethics and Ethos of Journalism in Bangladesh

Chairman of Bangladesh Press Council Justice Kazi Ebadul Hoque said, freedom, accountability and transparency of press and media people have to be ensured for the welfare of the people and country. At the same time, all of us have to work together to establish rights and proper wages of journalists.

He said it while speaking as Chief Gust in a dialogue on “Ethics and Ethos of Journalism in Bangladesh” held at the conference hall of Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industries on 26 June. Mass communication oriented knowledge centre CCD Bangladesh organized the dialogue. He also said, the past political governments did not work fairly at all by grossly approving their people of own choice for publishing newspapers, because most of those media houses have turned into only signboard-based institutions. These newspapers are torturing and exploiting journalists instead of providing them proper and regular financial facilities.

While speaking as Special Guest, Secretary of Bangladesh Press Council Shafiquzzaman said, due to the very logical reasons, it is impossible for all newspapers to immediately implement the latest wage board announced by the Government. But the Government, newspaper authority and journalist organizations have to take effective initiative, so that all newsmen are provided with actual salary and honorarium in accordance with the wage board in near future.

Presided over by Chairman of CCD Bangladesh noted journalist S M A Quader, the dialogue was addressed by editors of local newspapers and journalist leaders. They said, press council should be upgraded and modernized to establish rights and freedom of newspaper and newsmen. The council must reform as an effective institution by amending the Press Council Act, if needed. They called upon Government and Press Council authority to take necessary steps in this regard.

Chairman of Mass Communication and Journalism Department of Rajshahi University Prof Khademul Islam, Editor of the Daily Sonali Sangbad Md Liakat Ali, Central Vice President of Campaign for Good Governance noted journalist Mostafizur Rahman Khan Alam, Editor of the daily Natun Provat Sarder Abdur Rahman, Assistant Secretary General of BFUJ and Member of Bangladesh Press Council Rezaul Karim Razu and Editor of the daily Sunshine Tasiqul Islam Bakul, among others, addressed the dialogue. Assistant Professor of Mass Communication and Journalism Department of RU Satil Siraj moderated the dialogue.

Among others, Executive Editor Molazzem Hossain Sachchu, President of Rajshahi Metropolitan Press Club Bulbul Chowdhury, President of Rajshahi Press Club Anowarul Alam Fotick, Secretary of Bangladesh Women Journalists Society, President of Rajshahi Union of Journalists (RUJ) Ahsan Habib Wapu, General Secretary of Rajshahi City OPress Club Sarder Anisur Rahman and Director of CCD G M Mourtoza took part in the open discussion session.

Journalists of different national and local news media took part in the dialogue. Bangladesh Press Council, Women Empowerment Network (WEN) and Bangladesh Advanced Students Alliance (BASA), Rajshahi Youth Citizens Forum (YCF) co-organizations of CCD Bangladesh provided all out support to arrange the dialogue.

Bangladeshi Journalists Successfully Concluded UK Visit

A delegation of four journalists of Rajshahi and Dinajpur districts of Bangladesh and Director of knowledge centre CCD Bangladesh completed their UK visit very successfully and effectively.

Knowledge centre CCD Bangladesh arranged this tour for obtaining practical knowledge and experience about journalism practice and media management prevailing in Europe. The delegation team included Editor of the daily Natun Provat Sarder Abdur Rahman and Executive Editor of the daily Sonali Sangbad Molazzem Hossain Sachchu from Rajshahi, Executive Editor of the daily Ajker Protiva Abu Sayeed Mohammad Kumar and Joint Editor of the daily Potralap Shyamol Kumar Ghosh from Dinajpur. Director of CCD Bangladesh G M Mourtoza coordinated the visit.

The delegation team visited the offices of the important media houses of England including the daily Guardian, the daily Financial Express, the daily Sunday, the daily Independent, KM Messenger Group, BBC, Press Association (PA) and Thomson REUTERS in England and attended views exchange meetings with senior officials and journalists there during their trip supported by the European Union. Through this visit and meetings, members of the delegation team obtained extensive knowledge and experience on media management, marketing policies, news gathering and news processing techniques prevailing in Europe.

Moreover, they also visited offices of some international development organizations including HealthLink Worldwide, PANOS London, Open Society Foundation-London, BBC World Service Trust and attending views exchange meetings with the higher officials there requested them to extend their activities to Bangladesh.

They met some renowned teachers of Media and Journalism Department of Goldsmith University of London. They also took part in a seminar arranged by Media and Journalism Department of this university.

During the visit, Bangladeshi journalists attended views exchange meeting with journalists of all Bangla newspapers and television channels of London and members of London Bangla Press Club. The Bangladeshi journalists working in London hailed the initiative of visiting UK from the newspapers published from outside Dhaka and expressed their interest to visit the newspapers published from the northern region of Bangladesh. Besides that the delegation visited the offices of Bangla Weekly Janamat, Bangla Post, Bangla Radio of London and London office of Channel I.

The journalist’s team visited prominent business houses and business owners of UK such as VeeTee Grop. They also meet with the renowned rise businessmen and chairmen of the VeeTee Group Mr. Moni Varma and Marketing Manager of the group Mr. Gill Russell and requested them to invest in Bangladesh on rice and agricultural sector. The team also visited the big automatic rice mill and observed the procedure of rice producing and packaging.

The delegation team also visited English Parliament and Westminster and became acquainted with the British political history and activities of House of Lords and House of Commons. They also visited different historical sculptures and places including Buckingham Palace, Greenwich Watch, London Eyes, Tower Barge, West Minster Abbey and British Museum.

Consultant of the Thomson Foundation of UK and Professor of Media Department of City University of London Bardhen Martin, Youth Ambassador of CCD and student of Media and Journalism Department of Goldsmith University of London A S M Anisur Rahman Litu, London Correspondent of Channel I Faysal Chowdhury and Editor of Bangla Post published from London Barrister Tareq Chowdhury provided all out assistance to the delegation of journalists to make their visit fruitful, significant and a success.