The government is working to prepare a list of genuine journalists in consultation with different journalists’ organisations to uphold the dignity of the profession, State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Yasser Khan Choudhury has said.
He made the remarks while responding to a supplementary question from treasury bench lawmaker Zainul Abedin Faruque of Noakhali-2 during the question-answer session in parliament yesterday (12 November).
“We have taken various measures and are regularly exchanging views with different journalists’ bodies, including the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU), Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) and Broadcast Journalists Association, to prepare a list of genuine journalists,” he said.
Yasser said the list would be prepared based on the opinions of journalists’ organisations, adding that the government would not interfere in setting the criteria for identifying professional journalists.
He said the government firmly believed in press freedom, was committed to authentic journalism and encouraged the practice.
In his supplementary question, Zainul Abedin urged the government to prepare a list of genuine journalists and formulate rules to curb fake journalism.
He said some unqualified individuals were posing as journalists, using fake identity cards and spreading misinformation on social media, thereby tarnishing the reputation of professional journalists.
Separately, responding on behalf of Information and Broadcasting Minister Andalib Rahman to a written question from treasury bench member Nilofer Chowdhury Moni, the state minister said 1,344 journalists had received Tk6.48 crore in welfare grants during the tenure of the current government.
In the 2025-26 fiscal year, scholarships worth Tk73.26 lakh were also provided to 402 students from journalists’ families, he said.
The government has undertaken various programmes to ensure the professional dignity, financial security, social protection and overall welfare of journalists, Yasser said.
The Bangladesh Journalists Welfare Trust was established in 2014 through an act of parliament. The Bangladesh Journalists Welfare Trust Rules, 2016, were subsequently framed and published in the official gazette on 13 April 2016, he added.
The trust provides financial assistance to journalists facing financial hardship, illness, workplace accidents or unemployment, as well as to the families of deceased journalists.
It also offers scholarships and financial assistance to meritorious students from financially disadvantaged journalists’ families to help them continue their education.
Yasser said the government had also undertaken programmes to assist journalists and their families affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, families of journalists killed in connection with the July mass uprising, and journalists recognised for their courage.
He said grants were provided after applications and supporting documents were scrutinised and approved by the relevant authorities and the trust’s board of trustees in line with the 2016 rules.
Initiatives had also been taken to distribute grants through beneficiaries’ bank accounts to ensure transparency and accountability, he added.
Since its establishment, the trust has distributed Tk67.14 crore among 19,321 journalists and their family members, Yasser told parliament.
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