ZCZC
BSS-39
HASAN-JOURNO-ASSISTANCE
Hasan declares financial assistance to journalists
DHAKA, May 19, 2020 (BSS)- Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today
declared to provide special assistance to those journalists who have fallen
in crisis due to Coronavirus pandemic.
“Journalists, who have recently become jobless, remained out of jobs for
six months and are not getting their wages for long, would come under the
purview of special assistance with each getting Taka 10000,” he told
reporters after a meeting of Bangladesh Journalist Welfare Trust at the
meeting room of his ministry at secretariat here.
The minister said, “The special assistance would be given as a crisis-time
aid to those journalists irrespective of difference of thoughts and opinions
who have fallen in financial crisis due to Coronavirus pandemic and the
journalists leaders and Unions will decide who (journalists) will get the
assistance.”
Information Secretary Kamrun Nahar and Press Institute of Bangladesh
Director General and also member secretary of the trust Zafar Wazed were
present at the meeting.
Hasan said the journalists across the country are working fearlessly and
they are the front fighters during the Coronavirus epidemic. “I would like to
extend my thanks and congratulation to all journalists who are working to
prevent transmission of coronavirus,” he added.
He said, “We placed the matter before the Honourable Prime Minister of
providing financial support to those journalists who have fallen in financial
hardship due to Coronavirus. And as per her directives, we have decided to
bring needy journalists under the special assistance programme from a special
fund.”
On the matter of regular assistance through Journalist Welfare Trust, the
minister said, a total of 1167 journalists across the country have received
assistance of Taka 9.69 crore 50 thousands from the welfare trust till now
since the formation of the trust. In the last year, Taka 1.97 crore were
given to distressed and sick journalists, which we increased to Taka 2 crore
this year, he added.
He said many journalists have already been affected by Coronavirus and
three of them died.
The AL joint general secretary prayed for the eternal peace of three
journalists who died of COVID-19 and coronavirus-like symptoms, and sought
early recovery of journalists infected with coronavirus.
Principal Information Officer Surath Kumar Sarker, Bangladesh Federal
Union of Journalists (BFUJ) president Molla Jalal, secretary general Saban
Mahmud, Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) president Quddus Affrad and general
secretary Sajjad Alam Khan Tapu, among others, were also present at the
meeting.
BSS/ASG/PSB/KU/1920 HRS