Media houses can’t sack journalists at short notice: Arafat

State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat has said that no media house can retrench journalists suddenly or at short notice.

“Notice of retrenchment to anyone must be served at least three months before implementation," he said.

The state minister said this at a meeting with a Broadcast Journalist Centre (BJC) delegation at his ministry's conference room in the Secretariat on Wednesday.

He also said that the government doesn’t want to suppress freedom of speech while preventing misinformation.

The state minister also agreed to a demand placed by journalists to bring social media under a policy and ensure accountability.

"As journalists underscored the need to bring all social media, including YouTube and Facebook, under a policy and accountability, I, as the state minister for information and broadcasting, just agreed to the demand and will try to fulfil it after consulting with journalists and other stakeholders," he said.

“Legal action will be taken against the journalists involved in irregularities,” he warned.

"No one can run television without Cleanfeed, if they do; they will also be brought under justice,” the state minister added.

At that time, he sought cooperation from journalists in fulfilling their (journalists') demands.

The work of digitising the cable network service across the country will begin soon, the state minister said.