Hasan urges TV channel owners to ensure journalists’ health safety

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DHAKA, April 11, 2020 (BSS) – Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today
urged the owners of private television channels to ensure health safety of
broadcast journalists and pay their salaries and arrears.

He made the call while speaking at a meeting with the leaders of Broadcast
Journalist Centre (BJC) at his Minto Road official residence here.

“…many journalists of private TV channels are not getting their salaries
and allowances regularly. I will request the TV channels’ boards of directors
to pay salaries and arrears of their reporters and employees despite the
problems they are facing in the current situation,” he said.

Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary, said many journalists
have been working taking risks during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Broadcast journalists are roaming from one place to another to collect
news. Since the onset of the coronavirus outbreak, they have been doing their
jobs sincerely,” he added.

Mentioning that some reporters have already been infected with the lethal
virus, the information minister said many others are also staying in
quarantines.

“They (reporters) are taking risk in covering the issue and today, we
discussed how we can provide them assistance and ensure their health safety,”
he said.

Hasan said the government is working on how the health safety of
journalists could be ensured as they are working in the ongoing coronavirus
crisis, putting their life at risk.

Thanking the journalists to reach objective news to the country’s people by
taking risks during the ongoing adverse situation, the information minister
lauded the role of the mainstream media, including newspapers and
televisions, in preventing rumours over COVID-19.

BJC president Rezwanul Haque Raja, its secretary Shakil Ahmed, and senior
broadcast journalists Syed Ishtiaque Reza, Nazrul Kabir and Shahnaz Sharmin
were present at the meeting.