Media outlets that steal and publish news without authorisation should be shut down, said Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to the Chief Adviser of the Interim Government.
He made these remarks on Friday (17 January) at a discussion titled "Proposals for Media Reform: Citizens' Perspectives" held at the Nasrul Hamid Auditorium of Dhaka Reporters' Unity under the banner of "We Want a Fascism-Free Media".
Shafiqul Alam emphasised the importance of copyright enforcement in the media industry. “Our copyright enforcement is crucial, and all journalists must raise their voices on this issue. Imagine you work hard for two months on a news report, and another portal copies it within seconds. Or you take a stunning photograph, and it gets published by a major newspaper without your consent. This violates your right to earn from your work. Copyright enforcement is essential to protect your income source," he stated.
He further remarked that those involved in such theft must be shut down. “Press Council, Dhaka Reporters' Unity, and NOAB [Newspaper Owners’ Association of Bangladesh] often voice their opinions, but these organisations should take action to close down those who steal. This theft reduces our salaries because there is no copyright enforcement in our country.”
Addressing journalists, Shafiqul Alam urged them to fight for their rights. “If garment workers can fight for their wages, why can’t journalists? Regardless of the media house you run, you must maintain good journalists and provide a minimum wage.”
He also pointed out the need for media reform, saying, “We are initiating reforms because, over the past 15 years, the authoritarian government of Sheikh Hasina has exploited the media. They controlled almost all media outlets through phone calls from DGFI, NSI, ministers, or ICT officials. These calls were not about fair justice but outright injustice.”
The discussion also featured speeches from Plabon Tariq, spokesperson for We Want a Fascism-Free Media; convener Zainal Abedin Shishir; Journalist Abbas Uddin Noyon; lawyer Molla Faruk Ehsan; and Mahbub Alam, lecturer at Uttara University.
