The Newspaper Owners' Association of Bangladesh (Noab) has said the Media Employees (Services Conditions) Bill, 2022, clashes with the existing industries and labour laws of the country.
The bill was placed in parliament on March 28, at a time when the whole newspaper industry is going through a crisis period due to the pandemic, the organization said in a statement on Sunday.
The Editors’ Council, senior journalists and journalist leaders have already described 37 out of the 54 sections of the bill as being against journalists, Noab said.
The proposed law would only impede the growth of the newspaper industry, it added.
The formation of media courts is also redundant as there are already labour courts in the country, Noab argued.
It is possible to supervise all activities of newspapers through the industries and labour laws, press councils, and the Department of Films and Publications, said Noab.
The law would hamper independent journalism and freedom of expression, said the organization.
