Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
Journalists across Bangladesh held nationwide rallies Saturday demanding press freedom, fair wages, and legal protection under a 39-point charter announced by the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ).
At a major rally outside the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka, BFUJ Secretary General Kader Gani Chowdhury said, “We seek a transformed media environment where journalists can work freely, without fear or favour.”
Key demands include implementation of the ninth wage board, a ‘No Wage Board, No Media’ policy, formation of a journalist protection law, two weekly holidays, and the repeal of all anti-media laws. Speakers — including DUJ President Shahidul Islam and Jatiya Press Club President Hasan Hafiz — also sought insurance, written contracts, fair pay for district correspondents, and an end to harassment and killings of journalists.
The protests marked one of the largest showings of journalist unity in recent years, amid growing calls for media freedom under Bangladesh’s interim administration.