The pro-Awami League faction of the Bangladesh Union of Journalist (BFUJ) yesterday expressed concerns over various clauses of the new National Broadcasting Policy, though the faction had earlier thanked the government for formulating the policy.
During a press conference at the National Press Club yesterday, the faction also claimed that some clauses of the new policy were threats to the country's mass media.
Addressing the programme, the faction's President Manzurul Ahsan Bulbul said the policy was optimistic, but expressed concerns over some clauses of its chapter three, four and five.
The journalist leader, who was a member of broadcasting policy formulation committee, blamed the government solely for the limitations of the policy.
He said: “I was a member of the policy-making committee, but I did not know about the drafting. Even I was not even informed at the time of draft finalisation or what issues were introduced in the policy.”
Terming some provisions of news and programme casting not acceptable, Bulbul said: “Not only us but also them, who were involved in formulating the draft, claimed about contradiction in the policy.”
He urged the government to formulate an independent broadcasting commission with accommodation of quality personalities who would finalise a fresh broadcasting policy within a short period of time.
Referring to a clause of the new policy that any kind of statement that foils the image of army, government officials and law enforcement agencies would be not published, the journalist leader said the clause was contradictory with the laws – right to information. He said: “The media will expose any news regarding corruption and human rights violation.”
He also urged the government not to execute any of the new clauses until formation of the independent commission.
The press conference was attended by, among others, Dr Uthfal Sarkar, Abdul Jalil Bhuyan and Saiful Islam Talukder.
