ZCZC
BSS-49
DAY-BPC
Bangladesh Press Council Day tomorrow
DHAKA, Feb 13, 2021 (BSS) – Bangladesh Press Council (BPC) Day will be observed in the country tomorrow in a befitting manner.
Bangladesh Press Council was established on February 14, 1974 by enacting the Bangladesh Press Council Act by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to protect press freedom and improve its standard.
On the eve of the day, President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages greeting all concerned, including BPC , journalists and wishing all programmes of the day a success.
‘Realising that journalist society would be an associate force of democracy, Bangabandhu enacted BPC Act in 1974 to protect freedom of the press and its development, President Abdul Hamid said .
The council has also been working to ensure improvement of the standard of the newspapers and prevent yellow journalism, Hamid said, adding, “I hope it will play a more effective role in ensuring freedom of the mass media”.
Referring to Bangabandhu’s initiative in enacting BPC Act in 1974, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message, said Awami League (AL) government always plays vital role in flourishing mass media in the country.
She congratulated the Press Council for distributing books on Bangabandhu and Liberation War in 20 District Press Clubs and for setting up Bangabandhu Corners in Gopalganj and Comilla Press Clubs on the occasion of Mujib Year.
“We enacted the Right to Information (RTI) Act-2009 and established Information Commission. We also formulated National Broadcast Policy,” the premier said, adding that a total of 44 private television channels, 22 FM radios and 32 community radios got approval while 485 daily newspapers are being published across the country.
Sheikh Hasina said her government formed the Bangladesh Journalist Welfare Trust Act -2014 to ensure welfare of the journalists to improve their living standard.
In 2019-20 fiscal , TK 3.35 crore have been distributed among 3,350 journalists across the country as part of the Prime Minister’s special financial assistance for journalists affected by the COVID- 19 pandemic under the Bangladesh Journalist Welfare Trust. Financial grants have also been provided to press clubs and journalists during the Corona period.
“Corona-virus has been active in the global epidemic in Bangladesh, the corona-virus accurate information are being furnished to the public by the newsmen …therefore, I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to the members of the media and extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of those who died of the COVID -19 while discharging their important duties,” said the premier.
“The responsibility of journalists is unique in implementing the 10 special initiatives of our government for the overall development of the country and the ongoing efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) declared by the United Nations,” she said.
She expressed her optimism that the journalists will play an effective role in building the golden Bangladesh dreamt by the father of the nation by turning it into a middle-income country by 2021 and a developed-prosperous country by 2041 by preventing corruption, drugs, militancy and terrorism through objective news coverage.
The President and Prime Minister wish success of all programs, chalked out on the occasion of BPC Day 2021 and congratulated the journalists who have received the Press Council Medal 2021.
BSS/PR/DH/SKB/ 2052 hrs