“Tk 10 lakh fine max, if a journo involved in illegal activity”

A law is being amended with a provision of fining up to a maximum of Tk 10 lakh if ​​journalists are involved in any illegal or criminal activity, Justice Nizamul Huq Nasim, chairman of Bangladesh Press Council, said in Rajshahi yesterday (June 14, 2022).

He said this while addressing a certificate awarding ceremony of training for journalists held at Rajshahi Circuit House.

He added that the draft law is now in the Cabinet and it may be passed in the next parliament session, our Rajshahi staff correspondent reports.

There has been a rise in reports of journalists being involved in illegal activities, he said. The Press Council's current law does not provide punishment for journalists except rebuking them for wrongdoing, the chairman said.

"We want proper journalism which will earn journalists respect," he commented.

He also said that seeing them youths will be interested in journalism.

In the name of journalism, some people engage in extortion, tender and other criminal activities, he said.

So, the Press Council Act, 1974 needs to be amended to punish the so-called journalists who are involved in criminal activities. If any journalist violates the code of ethics and standards, he or she will be punished under the amended law, he added.  

Justice Nizamul also said, "Now anyone is becoming a journalist. Some are blackmailing people. It is certainly insulting for us. For this reason, it has become urgent to determine who real journalists are, and a new law is also needed. Journalism is not for ginger traders. Journalism is for real journalists."

"If one goes to jail, he would understand that he committed a crime," he added.

The Press Council, jointly with the PIB, is preparing a list of journalists, he informed. Names of journalists will be collected from media houses, but their information will be checked, he added.

Graduation will be the minimum educational qualification for the journalists. If someone has five years of work experience with a letter of appointment, then he will be listed, he said.

"Once you (journalists) are listed, you cannot do whatever you want, activities of all journalists would be monitored," he added.