BILS and  Bangladesh Labour Rights Journalist Forum (BLRJF)  organized a seminar on implementation of workers social security at the National Press Club on  April 3, 2019.

“Wage board is the right of the journalists, it is not alms, so we have to force the government to implement it as early as possible,” said Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, editor of The Daily Observer as chief guest at a seminar on Labour Sectors Professional and Social Security: Its Implementation Challenges. The seminar was chaired by BILS Chairman Md. Habibur Rahman Shiraz.

Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury urged all journalists irrespective of their political affiliations, to be united as a force to implement the Ninth Wage Board as early as possible.

Noticing the trend of termination of the journalists during implementation of every wage board, Farida Yasmin, General Secretary of NPC said that such actions should be stopped. Drawing the attention of the senior most journalists, she suggested that in this regard they should meet with the owners of the newspapers to ensure journalist’s professional security.

Condemning such discrimination against journalists, Shamsunnar  Bhuiyan, MP, said this discrimination against journalists cannot be accepted as they write about the inequalities faced by the marginal people of society. She also promised that she will talk with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina regarding the issue and also suggested that labour representation in the Cabinet should be increased so that they can talk for the interest of the labourers.

Kazi Abdul Hannan, a senior journalist and also the President of the Bangladesh Labour Rights Journalists Forum (BLRJF) chaired the programme.

Two presentations were made to show the present status of the labourers and the journalists across the country. Besides, senior journalists also spoke at the seminar.