Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder today spoke at a media briefing at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital. Photo: BSS

DHAKA, Jan 29, 2025 (BSS) - A new policy on accreditation cards for journalists will be published within a week, Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder said today.

He disclosed this at a media briefing at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital.

Azad said a committee has been formed to formulate a policy on accreditation cards for journalists. 

As per the instructions of Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, the committee will recommend whatever needs to be done for free journalism. 

After the committee's recommendation, he said, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the journalist representatives will finalise the policy.

The deputy press secretary said several sections of the latest 2022 accreditation policy contain objectionable provisions, so the committee will recommend cancelling those. 

There is a provision in existing policy that the government's development works must be promoted, which is against free and independent journalism, he said, adding that it will be recommended to be removed.

Azad said the existing policy states that journalists have to inform some government agencies when they go abroad. 

"This is extremely insulting. There will be a recommendation to cancel it," he said.

Azad said the provision of issuing cards according to circular will be cancelled.

Accreditation cards will be issued to 30 percent or a maximum of 15 journalists of a news outlet, he said.

About freelance journalists, Azad said the new policy recommends that a journalist must have been involved in journalism for at least 20 years or people who work on the rights of journalism will get freelancer cards.

"Earlier, the principal information officer used to issue accreditation cards. This time, a committee to be formed with various organisations, including journalists, will take the final decision. However, if a journalist does not get a card, he can appeal," he said.

The deputy press secretary said the appeal board will have people from various sectors, including national newspaper editors and judges.

For the district level journalists, a system will be recommended to issue cards to them from districts, he said.

Azad said: "In the previous (existing) policy, two types of cards were issued - permanent and temporary. This time, one kind of card will be issued with validity of three years."

The principal information officer could cancel the accreditation card only if there was a criminal case, he said, adding that now, if there is a criminal case against a journalist, his or her card will not be cancelled until the verdict of the case is not made against the journalist. 

However, he said, if a final chargesheet is filed against the accused journalist, the committee will suspend his or her card.

Azad said the cards of 167 journalists have been cancelled and of them, only 7 have applied for reconsideration of their cards.

Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam and senior assistant press secretary Foyez Ahammad were present at the media briefing.