The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a roundtable discussion yesterday stressed the importance of a committed media to protect national resources from foreign companies greed.

They criticised appointment of Dr M Tamim as a special assistant to the Chief Adviser with the charge of the Energy Division of the power, energy and mineral resource ministry, who they said, worked for foreign companies as an energy expert.

Progressive Journalists' Forum (PJF) organised the roundtable discussion on Media for Protecting National Resources at the National Press Club chaired by its convenor Kamal Lohani.

The speakers highlighted the roll of journalists in protecting the nation through criticism and dissemination of information but sounded an alert that some foreign companies are trying to woo the media to their vested interest.

Patriotic journalists in Bangladesh have contributed greatly to upholding the interest of the nation. But, now some foreign companies and their local collaborators are trying to misguide journalists for propagating their purpose, they said.

Justice Golam Rabbani said hatching conspiracy by the foreign companies is easy here as there are so many loopholes in laws prepared in the past colonial rule.

Journalist Kamal Lohani said greed of imperialists and capitalists for our national resources is well known to all. The media will have to take the challenge to take up the challenge of disclosing their conspiracies in this regard.

Convenor of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Port Engineer Sheikh Mohammed Shahidullah said all the previous governments more or less failed to protect national resources properly.

Member secretary of the said Committee Prof Anu Muhammed said, huge corruption was committed in signing Profit Sharing Contacts with foreign companies in the past. But the anti corruption drive of the present Government is overlooking that corruption. He urged the journalists to make investigative reports to unearth that corruption.

Editor of The New Nation Mostafa Kamal Majumder said cooperation of the media is a must in the movement to protect national resources. The leaders of this movement should be logical to address the media rather than malign it.

Journalist Kazi Abdul Hannan favoured self-criticism saying, "corruption should be slated whether it is done by politicians, bureaucrats or by the journalists."

Dr Samsul Alam, leaders of the movement to protect national resources Ruhin Hossain Prince, Dr Lenin Chowdhury and Member Secretary of PJF Pulack Ghatack addressed the function, among others. Journalists Badiur Rahman and Anwarul Islam Babu presented two keynote papers in the roundtable discussion.