PM: Media enjoying enough freedom

Noting that there is enough freedom of press and expression, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday asked the journalist community to sincerely discharge their responsibilities and duties towards the country and society. The prime minister made the remarks at the foundation lying ceremony of 31-stoery 'Bangabandhu Media Complex' on the Jatiya Press Club (JPC) premises, marking its 62nd founding anniversary. Sheikh Hasina said the government has so far enacted and formulated 18 laws and rules to ensure facilities for the journalist community. "It can't be that you'll enjoy facilities, but won't discharge your duties... there is a responsibility to the country, you have to perform that...you have got a responsibility to society, you'll have to perform it, too," she said. About BNP's claim that now there is no scope for independent journalism in the country, the prime minister said: "There's enough freedom for journalism in Bangladesh right now." Hasina said sometimes she has to face questions about the scope of journalism in the country due to the negative propaganda of the opposition. "In reply, I tell them if there's no freedom of press then how they get the scope to speak and how do they come up with these allegations." The prime minister mentioned that some 750 dailies are currently published across the country in addition to 23-24 television channels and some radio stations. "After hearing talk shows, can one say there's no freedom of expression, there's no freedom of opinion," she questioned. On the trend of newspaper owners to become editors, the prime minister said journalism sometimes faces hurdle because of this. The Bangabandhu Media Complex will have a cineplex, library, media museum, guesthouse, dormitory, IT room, and garden, with each of its floors having 22,000 sft of space. There will also be a helipad on its rooftop. Chaired by JPC President Shafiqur Rahman, the function was also addressed, among others, by Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, PM's Media Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Editors' Council Chairman Golam Sarwar, JPC General Secretary Quamrul Islam Chowdhury and President of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul.