Cni News : Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury today said Bangladesh has been enjoying the golden time in terms of free flow of information as the scopes and activities of mass media have broadened here.

“The Broadcast Journalist Centre Trustee Board has been formed for the flourishing of the massive activities of mass media….which will play an important role in advancing media,” she said, addressing the first broadcast conference of the Broadcast Journalist Centre at TSC auditorium of Dhaka University here.

Earlier, the speaker formally inaugurated the first broadcast conference, an official release said.

Speaking as the chief guest, Dr Shirin said the Broadcast Journalist Centre will help not only enhance the capacity and skills of its members and create job opportunities for them, but also support journalists to conduct research.

Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud and Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim, among others, spoke at the event with president of Broadcast Journalist Centre Rezwanul Haque in the chair.

Dr Hasan said broadcasting advertisements in foreign television channels through downlink is an offense and that is why the government will take tough measures to stop it.

After formation of the new government, he said, the cabinet in its first meeting discussed the ninth wage board for journalists. “The first meeting of cabinet suggested formation of a new committee on the wage board award and the Prime Minister endorsed the proposal. The ninth wage board suggests formation of a separate policy for broadcast journalists.”

The information minister urged the TV channel owners to provide salaries to the journalists and employees of their channels in time.

Noting that the private TV channels advanced in the country in the hands of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Dr Hasan said when she become the country’s premier for the first time in 1996, the first private TV channel started its journey. “Now 30 private TV channels out of the country’s total 44, which got licenses from the government, are in operation,” he said.

Media flourished significantly in the country in the last 10 years, he said, adding that media are working freely while several policies were announced to protect the interest of media workers.

Latter, a discussion on ‘broadcast industry: its potential and crisis’ was held at the conference.

Former Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor, Editor-in-Chief of GTV Syed Ishtiaque Reza and Ekattor TV Chief Editor Mozammel Babu, among others, also spoke.