The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Speakers at discussion meeting urged the government to form appropriate policy and take action for the protection of Newspaper Industry of the country, as crises grabbed the sector after the one-eleven.

They said the sector now passes its fragile situation. More than 150 newspapers' declaration were banned and excluded from the media list last year.

The speakers were addressing the meeting on the problems of the newspaper industry organised by the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) at the CIRDAP auditorium in the city yesterday.

PDP President Dr Ferdous Ahmed Quraishee presided over the meeting, while Naimul Islam Khan, Editor, the daily Amader Somoy, Amanullah Kabir, Editor, the daily Amar Desh, Shaymol Datta, Editor, the daily Bhorer Kagoj and PDP leader Golam Sarwar Milon, among other editors of different national and local newspapers, spoke at the discussion.

Matiur Rahman, Chief Editor, the daily Manabjamin, presented keynote paper.

The speakers said, downward trend of private advertisements' flow in the newspapers was seen due to recession in business sector arisen after one-eleven.

They said, the three key sources of the newspaper advertisements in the recent year were real estate and mobile phone operator companies and tender, but real estate and mobile phone operator companies were gravely affected in the situation arisen during the present caretaker government.

The rate of the government's advertisement has not been increased for 18 years, though the publication cost of the newspapers increase about 25 per cent last year. Decentralisation of the advertisement added to corruption and harassment, they added.

They blamed the government for not standing by the newspaper industry during its critical time.

Naimul Islam Khan suggested forming a committee to identify the problems of the sector and holding a national conference with editors, publishers and concern persons after three months to save the sector. The minimum price of newspaper should be fixed, he said.

The publication of a frontline a national daily was ended due to financial crisis and the existence of many newspapers is now on the verge of threat, they added.