Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said that journalists played a vital role at every stage of the movement to restore democracy and consistently stood beside democratic forces during difficult times.
Expressing his gratitude to the media community, he said their contributions during the country's critical moments would never be forgotten.
He made the remarks on Tuesday while addressing a discussion as the chief guest at the National Press Club in Dhaka, organized to mark the “Black Day of Newspapers” observed on June 16. The event was chaired by Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) President Md. Shahidul Islam. Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon attended the program as the special guest.
BFUJ General Secretary Kader Gani Chowdhury presented the keynote paper at the event while Press Club President Hasan Hafiz, editor of Protidiner Bangladesh Maruf Kamal Khan, and other journalist leaders also spoke. The program was conducted by DUJ Acting General Secretary Didarul Alam.
Mirza Fakhrul said, “Throughout the struggle for the restoration of democracy, we always found our journalist friends by our side. Even during the most difficult times, they stood with us. I can never forget the night when I was detained at the National Press Club and journalists ensured my safety and helped save my life.”
Thanking journalists for their dedication, he said the nation would always remember their contribution to protecting democracy and freedom of expression.
Speaking on press freedom, the minister said the current government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, remains committed to safeguarding media freedom and is actively working to fulfill that commitment. He added that compared to many challenging periods in the past, journalists now enjoy greater freedom in carrying out their professional duties.
The minister also assured that new initiatives would be undertaken to create employment opportunities for unemployed journalists. He expressed optimism that newspapers that had ceased operations would resume publication through the efforts of the Information Ministry. In addition, new media outlets would be encouraged to generate more jobs for media professionals.
Mirza Fakhrul further stated that ensuring freedom of the press had been one of the government's key priorities since assuming office, and efforts were continuing to implement its commitments in this regard.
Zahir Uddin Swapon said that an effective policy-making forum was necessary to implement the Prime Minister’s commitments regarding the media sector. He added that the ministry was working to make the media more responsible and public-oriented, emphasizing that the role of the media is closely linked to the interests and development of the nation as a whole.
