DRU accuses GP of ‘cheating’
Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU), the sole organisation of reporters working with different print, electronic and online media and news agency, yesterday accused leading telecom operator Grameen Phone (GP) of cheating over sponsoring the DRU-GP Best Reporting Award.
The DRU said the Grameen Phone authorities have put the organisation in an embarrassing situation by expressing its inability to sponsor the award at the last moment.
The GP has been sponsoring the DRU best reporting award since 2013. After securing the GP sponsorship, the DRU renamed their award as DRU-GP Best Reporting Award.
The GP move is a breach of confidence and an act of cheating with 1,400 members of the DRU. The DRU was ready to ask for reports submission. But the GP decision, taken in such a short notice, is aimed at creating an embarrassing situation for the journalists body, said a DRU statement issued yesterday.
The DRU was taking preparation to call reporters for submitting their reports for the DRU-GP Best Reporting Award. However, the GP authorities all on a sudden informed the organisation that they cannot patronise the award anymore citing financial reasons. This we could only term as an act of cheating, the statement said.
The statement, jointly signed by DRU President Shakhawat Hossain Badsha and General Secretary Elias Hossain, observed that the
See Page 19 Col 6 GP has the right to cancel its offer to patronise the award. However, they cannot do it at the last moment as the journalists body had issued notice urging reporters to submit their reports for the nomination, the statement said.
According to the statement, leaders of the DRU even held a series of meetings with the GP authorities in April, 2015. In those meetings, the telecom operator pledged to continue their support for the DRU award.
The DRU statement also mentions that they contacted Talat Mahmud, the newly appointed in-charge of the media and communications cell of the GP, who informed them financial loss prompted the telecom operator taking the decision.
The GP authorities informed the DRU on May 24 that they wont be continuing their patronisation for the DRU-GP Best Reporting Award according to a decision taken by the board of the telecom operator. Financial loss was shown the reason behind the decision, the statement said.
The DRU executive committee condemned such an irresponsible and whimsical decision taken by the GP and said the statement was issued to let all members of the DRU know the current situation.
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