Govt Announces Special Assistance for Journalists

Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said on Tuesday that a special assistance program has been announced for journalists who are having difficulty with the coronavirus outbreak.   

The Minister made the announcement after a meeting of the Journalist Welfare Trust in the Ministry's conference room.

It has also been decided who will get support.

Journalists who have recently lost their jobs, who have been unemployed for six months or who have not been paid for a long time will receive Tk 10,000 one-time emergency assistance, Hasan Mahmud said.

Mentioning that many journalists, as well as other professions, have been in trouble during the crisis, he said they raised the issue to Prime Minister Sheik Hasina for financial assistance to journalists.

“Following her instruction, the decision was taken today to help journalists from a special fund,” he said.

Journalist leaders and the union will decide who will get the help on the basis of fixed criteria, he said.

The Minister said that this welfare trust was established by Prime Minister Hasina in 2014. Since its inception, 1,167 journalists have received the assistance of Tk 9.69 crore from the Trust.

Even before the trust was established, 623 journalists were given assistance of Tk 3.8 crore.

Source: UNB