Journalists will not be able to exercise their rights if they are divided: M Abdullah
Muhammad Abdullah, Managing Director of the Journalists' Welfare Trust, said that only if we can write and speak without being a government's pawn, keeping professionalism in mind and even keeping an eye on the government of our own ideology, will it be possible to ensure financial and workplace security and establish an independent media.
M Abdullah made these remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a function at Rangpur Town Hall on Saturday (November 8). A discussion and rally titled 'Distribution of grant checks and measures to be taken for the financial protection and welfare of journalists and the recommendations of the Media Reform Commission including proposed amendments and implementation of the Journalist Protection Act' was organized there.
Abdullah said, from there, we must come out of party slavery and have the courage to speak up for our rights even if the government follows the ideology of our party. Then all the problems that are being raised today will be solved.
The managing director of the Journalist Kalyan Trust said, 'When BNP was in power for 10 years, I worked in the Prime Minister's Office with Begum Khaleda Zia. But I never did any lobbying there. We have to do impartial journalism. Outside of partisanship. Otherwise, our problems will not be solved.
M Abdullah said, 'Anwar Zahid, the former president of the undivided Dhaka Journalists Union, was the head of a party. But when he came to the profession, he did not have any party. There was no partisanship in his behavior. Nirmal Sen, he was also the president of the Dhaka Journalists Union, the president of the undivided BFUJ. He never played a partisan role in journalism. His politics were outside, not in the press club.'
"ABM Musa became an MP from the Awami League. But when he spoke about the rights of journalists, he did not play any partisanship. He spoke with an open mind in all forums. Many such examples can be given. Mustafa Kamal Haider. He is still in politics. They have shown us how to separate the party and journalism. Today we have merged everything. That is why we are suffering today," said this former journalist leader.
Abdullah said that on the recommendation of the Media Reform Commission, the 'Media Reform Commission Ordinance-2025' has been re-introduced in the draft of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. In addition, many things that were excluded from the Journalist Protection Ordinance have been added again. At the same time, M Abdullah also expressed solidarity with the journalist's demand for the implementation of the recommendations of the Media Reform Commission before the schedule is announced. He also said that the issue of grants for senior journalists will be clarified in the next few days, and that notifications will be issued for scholarships for the children of journalists. Other speakers at the rally demanded the implementation of the recommendations of the Media Reform Commission before the schedule is announced.
The day-long event was chaired by Rangpur Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Rabiul Faisal and moderated by RPUJ General Secretary Sarkar Mazharul Mannan. The Trust's Deputy Director (Finance and Administration) ABM Rafiqul Islam, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Abu Sayeed, and RPUJ President Salequjjan Salek spoke as special guests.
Among others who spoke at the rally were Rangpur Sammilit Jangid Samaj member secretary Liaquat Ali Badal, former Rangpur Press Club president and Daily Amader Pratidin editor Mahbub Rahman Habu, City Press Club president Swapan Chowdhury, general secretary Humayun Kabir Manik, NTV senior reporter AKM Mainul Haque, general secretary of Rangpur Reporters Unity Shimul Islam, Prothom Alo staff reporter Zahir Raihan, Dhaka Post staff reporter Farhaduzzaman Faruk, general secretary of Bangladesh Photojournalist Association Asaduzzaman Afzal, chief coordinator of Anti-Discrimination Journalist Movement SM Zakir Hossain, Television Camera Journalists Association general secretary Saiful Islam Mukul, member secretary of Online Journalists Association Ferdous Joy, and Mahiganj Press Club president Bablu Nag.
After the discussion, donation checks from Bangladesh Journalists Welfare Trust were distributed among 19 journalists from Rangpur district. More than three hundred media workers participated in the rally jointly organized by Rangpur Journalists Union-RPUJ and Bangladesh Journalists Welfare Trust.
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