Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday called upon the media to play a more responsible role in disseminating news and programmes, saying that there should have responsibility alongside freedom.
“Our government has given freedom to the newspapers, private television and radio channels, and through this, the people of the country are getting scope for expressing their opinion. But we witness sometime lack of responsibility from some mass media,” she said.
The prime minister made the comments while inaugurating a function on the occasion of completion of four decades of BTV at her official Gono Bhaban residence in the morning through videoconferencing.
Hasina said the freedom is a matter of enjoyment, but it also creates responsibility. “So all concerned should have that responsibility.”
The premier said the media will have to be careful about the impact that would be fallen on the people — from the children to elderly — or society due to their news and programmes.
“So keeping this in mind, they should disseminate news and programmes,” she said.
Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu spoke at the function from BTV’s Rampura station, while BTV Director General M Hamid delivered the welcome address at Gono Bhaban.
Among others, Adviser to the Prime Minister HT Imam and Press
Secretary Abul Kalam Azad were also present at the function at
Gono Bhaban.
The prime minister also urged Bangladesh Television (BTV) to further raise the standard of its programmes to compete with local and foreign media and garner more acceptability from the people at home and abroad.
“BTV will have to increase the quality of its programmes to sustain in the competition with local and foreign media in this era of globalization,” she said.
Emphasising conducting regular research for enhancing the standard of the programmes, the prime minister hoped that BTV would take initiatives to make creative programmes to face the future challenges and fulfill the demand and expectation of the people of the country.
Hasina urged the BTV authorities to take further initiatives to broadcast more programmes related to agriculture, trade, weather and climate change, healthcare, women and children.
“BTV will have to air more people- friendly programmes from the point of view of its responsibility toward the society,” she said.
Source: The Daily Star
