The leaders of journalists' organisations once again have called for reconsidering the Newspaper Owners’ Association of Bangladesh’s decision regarding holidays on the occasion of the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr.
Condemning the NOAB decision that declared a three-day holiday for media workers, journalist leaders in a joint statement on Wednesday demanded an extension of the holiday period for journalists.
A faction of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists, a faction of the Dhaka Union of Journalists, the Dhaka Reporters Unity, the Economic Reporters Forum, and the Dhaka Sub-Editors’ Council issued a joint statement to press home the demand.
The leaders of the organisations said that government employees would enjoy a long holiday period extending from the last week of March to the first week of April during Eid.
However, the NOAB has declared only a three-day holiday for media workers, which the organisations have termed as ‘cruel’ and ‘inhumane’.
They also termed it ‘unjust’ and ‘discriminatory’, especially when the entire nation was fighting against inequality.
It also said that the journalist organisations had previously called on NOAB to reconsider its decision and extend the Eid holiday period.
However, NOAB has not changed its position, leading to growing dissatisfaction among the journalists’ organisations.
According to the NOAB announcement, newspapers will be closed on March 30, March 31, and April 1. However, if Eid ul-Fitr is observed on April 1 following the sighting of the moon, newspapers will remain closed on April 2 as well.
The journalist organisations pointed out that government employees were being granted extended holidays, with a five-day holiday period for Eid, in addition to other public holidays such as Independence Day, Shab-e-Qadr, and weekly holidays.
BFUJ faction acting president Obaidur Rahman Shaheen and general secretary Kader Gani Chowdhury, DUJ faction president Md Shahidul Islam and general secretary Khurshid Alam, DRU president Abu Saleh Akon and general secretary Mainul Hasan Sohel, ERF president Dawlat Akhter Mala and general secretary Abul Kashem, and DSEC president Moktadir Anik and general secretary Zawhar Iqbal Khan are the signatories of the joint statement.
