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The government has begun implementing several key recommendations made by the Media Reform Commission.
In line with the commission's recommendations, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has taken some reform initiatives.
A press statement issued by the ministry on Thursday said it has made 12 decisions in this regard.
The statement was signed by the ministry's Public Relations Officer Md Mamun-Or-Rashid.
It said the ministry had held several meetings so far to implement the reforms and reviewed the subjects related to the implementation.
The ministry will formulate an ordinance to defend the rights of journalists, which will be issued soon after consulting with the stakeholders.
A task force will be formed to reform the newspaper circulation auditing system.
Simultaneously, steps will be taken to rationally increase newspaper advertisement rates.
To promote fair competition in the advertising industry, the ministry will consult the Bangladesh Competition Commission to investigate any alleged unfair practices.
As per the commission's recommendations, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) will conduct a survey to assess satisfaction with media content among the audience.
The security deposit fee for FM radio licences will be revised and reduced to a more reasonable level.
In consultation with the National Board of Revenue (NBR), steps will be taken to exempt columnists, contributors, artists, and guest presenters or discussants in the media from advance income tax on their honorariums.
A primary decision has been made to remove the mandatory use of Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited (BSCL) for television channels' uplink and downlink services.
Moreover, the curriculum of the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) and the National Institute of Mass Communication (NIMC) will be updated, and efforts will be made to enhance their institutional capacity.
A preliminary decision has also been made to establish a BCS information academy to train information cadre officials.
The 11-member commission led by senior journalist Kamal Ahmed submitted its report to the government on March 22 this year.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com