Govt to initiate formation of 10th wage board for journalists soon: Info minister
He added that six writ petitions related to the implementation of the ninth wage board are currently pending.
The process to form the 10th Wage Board for journalists will begin very soon, Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon said today (19 April).
Responding to a question from Bagerhat-2 lawmaker Shaikh Monzurul Haque (Rahad) in parliament, the minister said the ninth Newspaper Wage Board was published in the Bangladesh Gazette on 12 September 2019 but has not been implemented due to disagreements between journalists and newspaper owners over income tax issues.
He added that six writ petitions related to the implementation of the ninth wage board are currently pending.
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Responding to another question from opposition MP Abdul Alim, the minister said the Bangladesh Press Council has taken initiatives to improve journalistic standards, ensure the dignity of professional journalists and curb fake journalism.
"These include setting educational qualifications for journalists and creating an online database," he added.
In reply to a question from opposition MP Md Nurul Islam, Swapan said several measures have been undertaken to ensure journalists' safety, capacity and professional environment.
"These include establishing a journalist protection and assistance cell, providing legal and technical support in cases of threats, attacks and digital harassment, special support for women journalists, digital security training, emergency welfare assistance and coordinated support mechanisms at the district level," he added.
Answering a question from ruling party MP Mohammad Ali Asgar, the minister said steps are underway to amend the Press Council Act of 1974 to make it more relevant and turn the Press Council into a stronger, more effective and media-friendly institution.
"Journalist Welfare Trust has been providing financial assistance to journalists who are unable to work due to illness or hardship, as well as to families of deceased journalists. From 2015 to March of the 2025-26 fiscal year, a total of 1,110 journalists and their families have received financial aid," the minister added.
"Scholarships worth Tk73.26 lakh have been awarded to 402 meritorious children of journalists, while during Ramadan 2026, financial support worth Tk11.234 crores was distributed among 2,000 journalist families as iftar and Eid assistance," he further stated.
Responding to a question from MP Jalal Uddin, the minister said there are currently four state-owned television channels in the country.
Although 55 private TV channels have been approved, 37 are currently in full operation. No new applications for TV channel approvals are pending, he added.
