The Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) has demanded immediate implementation of the 9th Wage Board and the formation of the 10th one.

The demand came from an executive council meeting of the BFUJ held on Saturday.

The meeting also called for an end to the killing and torture of journalists, justice for all murdered journalists, including the journalist couple Sagar and Runi, enactment of a law for journalist safety, reopening of media outlets shut down under the previous fascist government and compensation for the losses they suffered.

The BFUJ also urged the repeal of all repressive media laws, including the Cyber Security Act, initiatives to stop all forms of pressure on the media, withdrawal of false cases filed against journalists and prompt payment of outstanding government advertisement bills.

Immediate implementation of 9th Wage Board demanded

The federation also emphasised freeing the media from authoritarian influence.

In another resolution, the BFUJ strongly condemned the ongoing genocide by Israel in Palestine and demanded an immediate end to the atrocities.

The meeting also decided to dissolve the expired committee of the Cox’s Bazar Journalists’ Union and formed a five-member ad-hoc committee headed by senior journalist Badiul Alam.

The other members of the committee are Abu Siddique Osmani, Hasanur Rashid, MR Mahbub and Mohammad Hashim.

Presided over by BFUJ President Obaidur Rahman Shahin, the meeting was conducted by BFUJ Secretary General Kader Gani Chowdhurt. Its executive committee members Khairul Bashar, AKM Mohsin, Bashir Jamal, Shahidul Islam, Erfanul Haque Nahid, Abu Bakar, Shaheen Hasnat, Modabber Hossain, Aparna Roy, Khurshid Alam, M Hamidul Haque Manik, Abu Hanif, Delwar Hossain, Saiful Islam, Kazi Biplob Hasan, and Sakhawat Hossain Manik, among others, attended the meeting.