JAHANGIRNAGAR UNIVERSITY, Aug 27, 2021 (BSS) - State Minister for
Information and Broadcasting Dr Murad Hassan today laid emphasis on
integrated efforts of all stakeholders to ensure professionalism of
journalism and other media practices.

   "Media owners, editors, journalists, trade union leaders must have
to work together to uphold professionalism of journalism and other
media practices," he said.

  The state minister was addressing the inaugural session of a two-day
long 4th networking conference on News Media in Bangladesh under
Covid-19: Role of State and Media Educators' began here virtually.
Department of Journalism and Media Studies, Jahangirnagar University
and DW Academy organized the conference.

  Highlighting different government-sponsored steps regarding
journalists' welfare during the corona pandemic, he said scores of
journalists across the globe have lost their jobs, wages were cut down
and newspapers, tv and radio channels were closed following the
disastrous impacts of the Corona pandemic on the economy.

  Bangladesh government, more particularly, the Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting has always been highly supportive to the
journalists who are being sacked by the owners during the covid-19
pandemic.

  Dr Murad said in the venture of the government of transforming
Bangladesh into the Golden Bangla, as dreamt by Father of the Nation
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, journalists, media educators and of
course the foreign friends are playing vital role to ensure press
freedom and good governance at every sphere of life.

   He mentioned that in line with the constitutional obligation, the
government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina provided all-out
support to the media and thus upholds freedom of expression of opinion
in the society.

  The government has formed a journalist welfare fund recently to help
the journalists facing difficulties due to the corona pandemic and the
government has already announced the 9th wage boards.

      Vice-chancellor of Jahangirnagar University, Professor Dr Farzana
Islam addressed the function as the guest of honor, while Professor Dr
Golam Rahman, Editor, Ajker Patrika, Professor Dr Mozammel Hoque,
Dean, Faculty of Arts and Humanities spoke on occasion as the special
guests.

  On behalf of DW Academy, Michael Karhausen, Head of Department Asia
and Europe, DW, Hannah Schempf, press attach, German Embassy, Dhaka
also addressed the inaugural function.

  Convenor of the Conference, Ameena Islam, Associate Professor of
Journalism and Media Studies Department, Jahangirnagar University
conducted the inaugural session presided over by Chairperson of the
Department Sheikh Adnan Fahad.

  Teachers and students of Journalism, Media Studies and Mass
Communication Departments of different public and private
universities, working journalists, representatives of research bodies
were present at the inaugural session.

  The two-day conference will be conducted with four panel
discussions. At the concluding session, Priya Esselborn, country
manager of DW, Bangladesh will give vote of thanks.

  Professor Dr Mofizur Rahman, Mass Communication and Journalism
Department, Dhaka University, Probhash Amin, Head of News, ATN News,
Nadia Sharmin, Senior Reporter, Ekattor TV and Fakaruddin Jewel, Head,
Ntv spoke as panelists of the first session.

  Associate Professor of Journalism and Media Studies Department
Saiful Alam Chowdury, Associate Professor, Department of Mass
Communication and Journalism, University of Dhaka, M Abul Kalam Azad,
Special Story Editor, Dhaka Tribune, & founder of fact-checking
platform 'factkhuji.org, Suliman Niloy, Acting Head of Multimedia
Content, bdnews24.com and Maksuda Aziz, Mobile Journalism Specialist,
Daily Prothom Alo spoke at the second session as the panelists.

   A good number of teachers, researchers and students from different
public and private universities and working journalists took part at
the sessions.

  Channel i online and Ajker Patrika are the media partners of the
conference. Two other sessions titled 'Safety and job security of
journalists during and post-COVID Bangladesh: Role of editors and
media educators' and 'Creating environment for media and communication
research and sources of funding in the post-COVID Bangladesh' will be
held tomorrow.