Deploring the recent attacks on journalists and TV channels, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday assured the media owners and journalists of her government’s all-out efforts to ensure their security.
The assurance came when the owners of private TV channels met the Prime Minister at her official residence Ganobhaban in the evening.
Private TV channel owners under the banner of Association of Television Channels Owners (ATCO) met Sheikh Hasina to express their concern over the recent attacks on journalists by pro-hartal activists.
PM’s press secretary Abul Kalam Azad briefed reporters after the meeting.
Association vice president Anjan Chowdhury of Maasranga Television and general secretary Sykh Siraj of Channel I led the delegation.
They said once journalists and vehicles of media houses used to be kept out of the purview of hartal, but recently the hartal supporters started attacking the journalists, too.
They said they were very much worried seeing the aggressive attitude of the hartal supporters and passing their days in great anxiety.
The ATCO also thanked the Prime Minister for her initiative to hold dialogue with the opposition by calling opposition leader Khaleda Zia over phone.
About the press freedom, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said her government never ever put pressure on the media. “The media in Bangladesh is now fully free.” she said.
The premier urged the TV channel owners to allocate more time for broadcasting the development activities taken by her government for the welfare of people.
Turning to her recent telephone conversation with the opposition leader, Hasina said the opposition leader did not accept her invitation to dialogue and the request to withdraw the hartal. “It’s my belief that all problems could be resolved through dialogue,” she said adding that there could be no solution to any problem by unleashing terrorist acts.
About the next general election, the Prime Minister said the government wants a free, fair and acceptable election with the participation of all political parties.
Source: UNB Connect
