SC clears way for publishing 9th Wage Board gazette for journos

DHAKA, Aug 20, 2019 (BSS) – The Supreme Court Appellate Division today stayed for eight weeks the High Court order that had imposed status quo on publishing gazette notification for implementing the recommendations of ninth wage board for journalists and employees of newspapers and news agencies.
A four-member apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order this morning, clearing all the legal bars in publishing the gazette.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam and Deputy Attorney General Amit Talukder had moved the state plea to stay the August 6 High Court order.
Advocate AF Hasan Arif stood for daily Prothom Alo editor, publisher and president of Newspapers Owners Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) Matiur Rahman who filed a writ against publishing gazette notification for implementing ninth wage board recommendations.
Earlier on August 14, Justice Md Nuruzzaman of Appellate Division Chamber Court sent the state petition, which pleaded to stay the High Court order, to apex court regular bench for hearing on August 19.
Terming the initial writ against publishing gazette notification for implementing the recommendations of ninth wage board, pre-matured, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said the petitioner filed the writ as he does not want to pay the salary to journalists properly.
“Without journalists, the owners of newspapers do not have any existence,” the court observed at the time of the hearing.