Salim Chowdhury :
The journey of a new organization of journalists has started to protect rights, prevent torture and oppression, and ensure professionalism without party affiliation in a two-day long journalist meeting in the famous Mini Cox’s Bazar, Dohar (Dhaka). The name of the organization is Bangladesh Journalist Community (BSC). Ekushe TV and Janakantha representative MA Raihan has been formed as the convenor and Samam TV and Bangladesh daily representative Alpana Begum as member secretary has been formed as a convenor committee with 51 members.
The 9 joint conveners of this committee are Afzal Hossain (NTV), Shah Alam Shahi (Channel I), Gaurang Debnath Apu (Daily Bangladesh), Habib Sarwar Azad (Yugantar), Azharul Haque (Prathamalo), Md. Kamal Uddin (Baishakhi Television), Haider Hossain (Bass), MA Akram (Naydigant) and Sohag Arefin (Dainik Deshbangla). The names of investigative journalist Saidur Rahman Rimon, veteran journalist Fazlul Quader Chowdhury and Kazi Miraj were announced as advisors of the organization. This convening committee will perform the responsibility of forming the executive committee through elections along with the formation of regional committees in the larger 19 districts in the next three months.
On the eve of the formation of the convening committee, more than two hundred journalists were given the oath. Prothom Alo Bandhu Sabha National Committee Chairman Saiduzzaman Roshan administered the oath. He has been announced as the brand ambassador of the newly formed Bangladesh Journalist Community (BSC).
Party-free, socially responsible journalism has been announced at the meeting of journalists organized at the Moint Ghat of Doha (Dhaka) famous for Mini Cox’s Bazar. It has been said that the entire journalism is facing a critical situation due to a group of journalists. Emphasizing on clean journalism as a way out of this deplorable situation, it is said that journalists must play a role to restore 100% confidence in the media. This was revealed in the original article presented at the journalists’ meeting organized under the banner of the General Journalists Society yesterday at 12 noon.
The two-day gathering started in a joyful atmosphere with more than one and a half hundred journalists from major media outlets working across the country. In addition to boat trips, autobiography, cultural events, there is a decision to make special recommendations regarding effective measures to protect the existence of journalists and against torture. Fazlul Quader Chowdhury, editor-publisher of Daily Rupali Saikat, a 53-year-old professional journalist of Cox’s Bazar, inaugurated the meeting. Saidur Rahman Rimon, editor of Dainik Deshbangla, delivered the opening speech at the event organized under the chairmanship of Afzal Hossain, staff reporter of NTV. In the speech, some specific plans were presented to prevent torture of journalists. At the same time, various proposals were put forward including ensuring journalism free from factionalism, eliminating the dangers of journalists at the field level, and building a unified platform.
