PM announces another TK 10-crore grant for journalists

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday announced a grant of another Tk 10 crore to the Bangladesh Journalist Welfare Trust (BJWT).

She made the announcement at the Delegates Conference-2023 of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists at the National Press Club.

“As I’ve established it (BJWT) and come here this time again, I will give a grant of another Tk 10 crore to the BJWT,” she said.

Hasina said that she gave a seed money when she constituted the BJWT for the welfare of the country’s journalists.

PM Hasina initiated the trust fund in 2014 by giving seed money of Tk 5 crore.

Later, she also gave more grants in different times.

During her speech at BFUJ representative conference, she also said that Awami League government has prioritised the welfare of journalists.

“We’ve formulated the ‍‍`Journalist Support Allowance and Grant Policy-2012‍‍` and the ‍‍`Bangladesh Journalist Welfare Trust Act-2014‍‍` to institutionalise the journalist support programe.”

She said, a board of trustees has been formed under this act.

In October 2018, the premier donated Tk 20 crore to Bangladesh Journalist Welfare Trust.

She said that since the fiscal year (FY) 2015-2016 to June 2023 a total of Taka 29,81,50,000 has been distributed as welfare grant to 3,433 journalists and journalist families.

In addition, she said, in the first phase of the Covid-19 period, BJWT distributed Taka 3.35 crore among the affected 3,350 journalists across the country in the FY 2019-2020.

In the second phase, in the FYs 2020-2021, 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, the government allocated another Tk 10 crore from BJWT to the journalists affected by Corona.

So far, a total of Tk 6,72,70,000 has been given to a total number of 6,727 journalist affected by Coronavirus where each received Tk 10,000 under the Prime Minister’s special financial support.