Bangladesh Television will upgrade its centre in Khulna to a full-fledged station before the next national election, Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud said on Friday. He also announced that the state-run BTV will open centres in the country’s all divisions. This will lead to the development of culture, art, literature and discovery of new talents besides creating jobs. Hasan said this while distributing financial assistance among 75 journalists from Bangladesh Journalist Welfare Trust, established by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The journalists each received a cheque of Tk. 10,000 at the programme held at the district administration's conference room. Read: BTV transmission begins in India Describing Hasina as a media-friendly PM, the minister said that financial assistance is being given to all journalists irrespective of their ideologies from the welfare trust, first of its kind in the world. He said an amount of Tk 3,500 crore has so far been distributed among 3,000 journalists from this welfare trust, where the prime minister earlier donated Tk. 10 crore from her own fund.