The people of Bangladesh are breathing a sigh of relief following the ban on the Awami League's activities, Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, said today.
Speaking as the chief guest at a "Meet the Press" event organised by Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU), Shafiqul claimed the ban has been widely accepted across the country, despite a few dissenting voices.
Referring to a recent United Nations report, he said, "The UN revealed that 1,400 people were killed, but our own estimate is even higher. Despite this, the Awami League has shown no remorse. During their rule, they arbitrarily labelled people as militants. Now that the party is banned, the people are feeling relieved."
DRU President Abu Saleh Akon, General Secretary Mainul Hossain Sohel, and other members of the executive committee attended the event.
Addressing issues concerning media professionals, Shafiqul criticised journalists' unions for what he called a failure to advocate for members' rights over the past 15 years.
"They've been more focused on acquiring land plots in Purbachal than protecting journalists. This is a serious betrayal," he said.
On another note, regarding journalists' wages he said, "Journalists' salaries should not be below Tk 30,000. If a paper cannot afford that, it should cease publication," he added.
He responded to a range of questions from reporters during the event.
FP/MI
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