Who to carry forward PM’s advice?



Zahid Newaz Khan
Zahid Newaz Khan, Photo: Barta24.com

Zahid Newaz Khan, Photo: Barta24.com

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A state of media was exposed in front of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her post-Brunei visit press conference at Gano Bhaban in Dhaka on April 26.

A senior television journalist, taking the opportunity of placing questions, raised the issue of television industry. A supplementary question on print media situation was raised by another journalist.

In reply, the Prime Minister advised the media to welcome and be habituated with online with changes in media industry in this digital era. “It’s the influence of time or technology. Such changes will be taking place either by the influence of technology or by modernism,” she said replying to the questioner who said that the print media industry is facing financial problem.

The PM did not keep her statement only to making advice, but also elaborated about the global print media industry.

“Many famous and prestigious newspapers faced closure due to development of technology. Some closed their operation totally, some shifted to only online operation. Many globally famous newspapers stopped their print edition, many operate online edition only. They don’t use papers at all,” she said.

The Prime Minister told the journalists that changes will be taking place due to technology. “Technology open up news window of scopes. It has some negatives aspects, too. But, if we can exploit it properly, there is nothing to be worried.”

The 72-year-old PM’s statement on one side indicates how much the top level of the government is keen to lead the country parallel to the pace of technology and modernism, and on the other side it shows how much our media industry is still lacking in exploiting the full benefits of digital operations in the present world.

If you talk about digital, some people will come up with the complaints of mushrooming of online news sites. It is true that such sites have mushroomed and the number is increasing every day. As internet gives you the scope to run a site even single handedly, the number of sites will increasingly rise. But, it all depends on quality of contents and again the basic of journalism-- ethical practice. If your content is reliable, has timeliness, different from others, even a one-man show can be a top specialised site. A former AOL content developer from Berlin runs a site on jogging and profits by advertisements from companies like Ray Ban, Reebok and Adidas.

Obviously, your contents have to be that standard to have audiences and attract revenues.

A study shows that the global print media lost its advertisement share from 22.4 percent in 2009 to 10.1 percent in 2019. On the other hand, digital platforms at present have a share of 38.9 percent of global advertisement revenue which was 17.2 percent in 2009. Although the global TV industry is not that affected in terms of revenues (38.3% share in 2009 and 35.9% share in 2019), it is being affected otherwise--people are watching live from smart phones and TV sets are being used to watch contents from other sources like YouTube and Netflix.

Added to that, Bangladesh’s TV industry has more headache. One thing is that they do not get any revenue from the audience and another is that major companies shifted their 30 percent advertisements from TV and newspapers to digital platforms.

Bangladesh’s TV industry perhaps will be able to maintain a standard revenue earnings by having fees from clients if they are able to operate digitally as well as from earnings from digital platforms-- be it their own apps or social media. We are watching that television channels are trying their best. But, what’s about the print media? Yes, they are also focusing more and more on digital operations.

So, mushrooming of news sites is not a problem. Here we can take the number of newspapers right at this moment in Bangladesh. The Prime Minister herself mentioned that the figure is 700. If you do not know names of more than 50, there is no problem if the number of sites is 7,000. At the end of the day, audience is the ultimate judge. They will decide who will exist and who won't.

Here we want to draw attention about a major challenge the online media is going to face in near future. That is skilled manpower. Our journalism departments in different universities have to comprehensively contemplate about developing capable human resources to carry forward journalism in the new era.

Our Prime Minister, who in that press conference on a number of occasions reminded that she is the oldest one in politics, rightly advised the media about the future. But, our universities are not in that line. It is not a matter of obliging, it is a matter of necessity and adaptation to the changes that has been shaping the global news scenario as per the demand of readers and audiences who are consuming news in diverse platforms.

Zahid Newaz Khan is Chief News Editor (CNE) of Channel i and Editor of Channel i Online.

   

After capturing power, Awami League also captured history: Amir Khosru



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
Photo: Barta24.com

Photo: Barta24.com

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BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has commented that Awami League is taking over history by illegally grabbing power.

He said that the rulers are using the state machinery to implement their fabricated history. They are manipulating the Judiciary to explain their fabricated history. When politicians become historians, it is no longer history, but propaganda.

Amir Khosru made this comment at a discussion meeting organized by the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) at the National Press Club on Wednesday (April 17) at noon, demanding the declaration of Republic Day on April 10.

This member of the BNP Standing Committee said that although the Awami League government has dropped the boat symbol in the Upazila Parishad elections, it has not withdrawn from the project of stealing votes. The vote stealing scheme is the source of their power. The government no longer has the courage to go in front of the people with the boat. 95 percent of the people did not go to the polling station in the January 7 election. There is no such thing as voting.

He also said that every effort was made to break the BNP before the election, but the unity of the BNP is intact. Cases, assaults, jails have been defamed against BNP leaders and activists, yet the unity could not be broken.

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BUET should decide whether to have student politics or not: Gayeshwar



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
Photo: Collected

Photo: Collected

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Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, a member of the BNP Standing Committee, said that if the BUET authorities think that the BUET authorities will stop politics there for the sake of keeping the atmosphere of the campus calm and for the education of the talented children of parents who study here - that is their decision.

On Monday (April 1), Natore District BNP Joint Convenor Dewan Shaheen, who was undergoing treatment at BSMMU, made this comment in response to the questions of the journalists present after inquiring about the treatment.

Gayeshwar Chandra said, we want student politics; we have come this far by student politics. Student politics is not an obstacle. I don't want a group student organization in the classroom. Abrar, a brilliant student of BUET, was brutally killed in BUET. Not only the students, civil society and political parties of the country erupted in protest. Then the BUET authorities decided that there will be no political student organization in BUET. In the context of which BUET has taken this decision, whether it is still valid or not, whether there is any danger or not, considering the overall aspect, BUET has to decide whether there will be student politics or not.

Claiming that the condition of Jahangir Nagar University is more deplorable than the condition of BUET, the former minister said that Chhatra League leader Manik had celebrated a century of rape there. What could be more disgusting than that? In fact they are not tainted with any stigma! The more we find them tainted, the more they are embellished. One reason is to use muscle power and destroy politics as a party worker in the administration.

Mentioning the attack on Natore district BNP joint convener Dewan Shaheen, Gayeshwar Chandra said, "Our leaders and workers are often attacked by Awami League terrorists." This brutality of the rulers is going on all over the country. Still, BNP activists do not leave the field. However, without these terrorist activities and muscle power, it is not possible for an isolated government to survive politically.

In response to a journalist's question about former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who is undergoing treatment in CCU at Ever Care Hospital in the capital, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy said that the government is killing Khaleda Zia in a planned way without giving her better treatment abroad. The ruling party will be happy even though the news of his death will go down in tears all over the country.

BNP Organizing Secretary Ruhul Quddus Talukdar Dulu, deputy secretary Taiful Islam Tipu and others were present at this time.

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In the 12th JS election the cost of Awami league is Tk. 2.76 crore



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka:
Photo: Barta24.com

Photo: Barta24.com

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The party's treasurer HN Ashikur Rahman said that the ruling Awami League spent Tk. 2 crore 76 lakh 88 thousand 120 in the 12th Jatiya Sangsad election.

He gave this information after submitting the party's expenditure account to the commission in the 12th election at Agargaon election building in the capital on Monday (April 1) afternoon.

After submitting the election expenses of the ruling party, the presidium member of the party, Kazi Zafarullah, said that we had a limit of Tk. 4 crore 50 lakh. The expenditure is less than that.

At that time, the treasurer of the party, Ashiqur Rahman, said that Tk. 2 crore 76 lakh 78 thousand 120 have been spent. Our expenditure limit was Tk. 4 crore 50 lakh.

He said that the district level leaders spent on their own because of their loyalty to the party. So our expenses are reduced. Moreover, the entire expenditure in elections is not party-related. Where other parties require Tk. 10, we require Tk. 2.

In response to the question where this money was spent in the election, he said that it was spent on posters, public meetings, publicity etc.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, Barrister Biplab Barua said, as a registered party, we will submit the income and expenditure account. Then there will be details.

At that time, Presidium member Kazi Zafarullah, Treasurer HN Ashiqur Rahman, Publicity and Publication Abdus Sobahan Golap, Office Secretary Barrister Biplab Barua, Deputy Office Secretary Sayem Khan were present in the delegation of Awami League.

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Awami League leader's comments on parliamentary elections is viral



District Correspondent, Barta24.com,Cumilla
photo: Collected

photo: Collected

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General Secretary of Cumilla North District Awami League Roshan Ali Master has gone viral with his controversial comments on Debidwar parliamentary elections. There has been uproar among activists over the video that has spread online. Some reacted angrily.

On Saturday (March 30) afternoon, Roshan Ali Master gave the speech at the iftar party at his residence in Devidwar Municipal area on the occasion of pilgrimage to Makkah to perform Umrah.

In a four-and-a-half-minute video spread on Facebook, he was heard saying, "We didn't lose the vote, we lost by the mechanism." For any reason we could not get the results, 82 thousand votes is less? They have a lot of history, you will not understand them and your brother will explain them. Those whom I have made leaders do not count on me now. There are many Mir Jafars in our party, they have been and will be. If they get better, we will get better. And if it is not good after Hajj, then I will come in the field.

The leaders and workers of Debidwar Upazila Awami League expressed their immediate angry reaction to his speech.

In response, they said, "Where the Prime Minister has set an example all over the world by holding a free, fair and impartial vote, his statement calls into question the fair election." In his speech, he wanted to prove that the current Member of Parliament Abul Kalam Azad was elected by rigging the vote. They condemned such a statement.

Debidwar Upazila Awami League Joint General Secretary Principal Humayun Kabir said, 'Awami League is becoming a laughing stock to common people with these unrestrained statements. No one can stop him. Earlier, in various meetings of the 12th National Election, he has been in controversy by abusing independent candidates and his leaders and activists, which everyone has seen on social media. Awami League leaders and activists are embarrassed by these statements.

Cumilla North District Awami League General Secretary Roshan Ali Master called several times to get a statement on the matter, but he did not receive.

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