Prioritise news importance, not party balance in BTV coverage: JS body
The committee stressed that BTV should fulfil its responsibilities as a public service broadcaster accountable to the state and society, rather than seeking to become a commercial television channel.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Information and Broadcasting Ministry today (13 October) called on Bangladesh Television (BTV) to prioritise the importance and relevance of news over maintaining a proportional balance between coverage of the ruling and opposition parties.
The recommendation came at the committee's second meeting, held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Tuesday with its chairman Md Amanullah Aman in the chair.
The committee stressed that BTV should fulfil its responsibilities as a public service broadcaster accountable to the state and society, rather than seeking to become a commercial television channel.
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It also emphasised the need to clearly define BTV's goals and objectives, taking into account the social impact of its news coverage and programmes.
The committee said important news involving the opposition should receive due prominence whenever relevant, instead of determining coverage based on the proportional representation of the government and opposition in news bulletins.
It also stressed the need for BTV's programmes and news coverage to convey a positive message to the public, encouraging people to work together and ensuring that authoritarianism does not return.
The committee called for the production and broadcast of programmes acceptable to people regardless of their political affiliations.
At the meeting, members also discussed preserving the history of the 1990 mass upsurge and the July mass uprising alongside the 1971 Liberation War in the Bangladesh Film Archive's collection of nationally important documentaries and historical records.
The committee further discussed preparing a list of officials under the Information and Broadcasting Ministry who had been forced into retirement on unethical grounds or denied promotions over the past 17 years.
The list, including their names and designations, is to be presented at the next meeting.
A list of programmes and activities cancelled during the same period was also discussed for presentation at the next meeting.
The committee stressed the need to ensure transparency and accountability in all activities under the ministry.
It also recommended that all concerned take an active role in ensuring that members of the Hindu community can celebrate the upcoming Durga Puja freely and without disruption.
