Minimum salary for journalists should be equivalent to BCS 9 grade

The minimum salary for an entry-level journalist has been recommended to be equivalent to a BCS nine-grade officer and a journalist must have graduation qualification.

The Media Reform Commission figured out the needs in its report handed over to Chief Adviser Prof Mohammed Yunus at his residence State Guest House Jamuna in Dhaka on Saturday.

It may be pointed out that according to the national pay scale 2015, the basic salary of a grade 9 BCS officer is Tk 22,000 and including house rent and other allowances, the total exceeds Tk 35,000.

An 11-member team of the commission, led by its chief Kamal Ahmed, handed over the report to the chief adviser.

Later, Kamal Ahmed briefed the journalists about the summary of the report, saying that he made the recommendation to consider financial security for the journalists.

In the report, he also came up with a recommendation to adopt a law that would protect journalists and their rights. A draft regarding the law has also been included in the report, he said.

Speaking to journalists, he said that the minimum salary for an entry-level journalist should be equivalent to that of a ninth-grade BCS officer, and this standard should be implemented nationwide for the same grade.

However, the salary of the journalists who reside in the capital Dhaka can be more than this considering the living cost and other expenditures, he said in his recommendation.

Responding to a query about the qualifications of the journalists and editors, he said a journalist must have a graduation qualification.

He expressed his hope that the interim government or the next elected government would implement the recommendations for the greater interest of objective journalism and for upholding true professionalism.

After taking charge on 8 August following the fall of Awami League government through a student-led mass upsurge, the interim government formed the Media Reform Commission on 18 November last year to establish an independent, strengthened and objective mass media in the country.