The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporters

National Broadcasting Law is needed to run the private and state-owned televisions and radios. State owned TV and Radio should be autonomous and no restriction should be imposed on media by the National Broadcasting Law.

Speakers said this yesterday at a roundtable on 'National Broadcasting Law: Why is it Necessary' jointly organised by UNESCO, Mass-line Media Centre and Bangladesh NGOs Network for radio and Communication at the BIAM foundation in the city.

President of Supreme Court Bar Association Barrister Amir-Ul Islam was chief guest with Adviser of The Bangladesh Today M Asafuddowlah in the chair.

Speakers also demanded of the Government to constitute a National Broadcasting Commission.

Robaet Ferdous, Associate Professor of Mass Communication and Journalism of Dhaka University presented Keynote paper. Robaet ferdous in his keynote paper pointed out about the BTV and Bangladesh Betar to be made autonomous. He also said the law should set criteria to be an owner of media so that black money owner could not get license of TV or Radio and set a criteria for the advertisements to be gender sensitive.

Speakers also criticised all governments for not giving the state-owned TV and Radio autonomy though they had promised several times to do so.

They said the broadcasting law should not impose any kind of bar for the journalists and it must provide journalists their journalistic freedom.

Prof Dr Golam Rahman of Mass Communication and Journalism moderated the meeting participated as special guest by Ramendu Majumder Managing Director Expressions.

Shaukat Mahmud, President of National Press Club, Shameem Reza, Associate Professor of Mass Communication and Journalism of Dhaka University were key discussants.