RANGPUR: Speakers at a views-sharing meeting yesterday said the mass media could play the most vital role in mobilising the common people for launching a vigorous movement in preventing corruption from the society, reports BSS. The mass media could play very important role in unveiling corruption, framing corruption as public problem, suggesting solutions and generally empower the common citizens to fight corruption, they said. They put emphasis on educating the school students on values of honesty and good moral character to inspire them in becoming patriotic citizens and having positive impacts on their behavior against corruption to lead the society in future.
The District Corruption Prevention Committee (CPC) and District Combined Office of the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) jointly organised the meeting with media workers at Zila Parishad auditorium in the city. RDRS Bangladesh, a reputed NGO, extended cooperation in organising the meeting under the Justice Reform and Corruption Prevention (JRCP) Project. The Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs has been implementing the JRCP Project through GO-NGO collaboration under financial assistance of the German Development Cooperation (GIZ). President of the District CPC Professor Mozammel Haque presided over the meeting participated by 40 journalists working in the print, electronic and online media. Terming media as the watchdogs, agenda setters and gatekeepers, the speakers said journalists can monitor the quality of governance, frame the discussion about corruption, and lend voice to a wide range of perspectives and arguments.
Media coverage influences norms and cultures, which in turn can influence policy-making and legislative reform to influence the range from public awareness on corruption to massive protests against corruption and abuse of power, they said. They said prevention of corruption is not possible only through creation of law and called upon media workers for working as a team to launch an effective social movement involving everybody for eradicating corruption from every sphere of the society.
They put emphasis on active cooperation of the media and common people to prevent corruption through stopping misuse of power and public money by a fewer section of government officials and employees. Terming corruption as a social disease, they urged the journalists for stronger media reporting to establish accountability in government offices through raising unequivocal voice against corruption in building a corruption-free Bangladesh. Deputy Director of District Combined Office of ACC Kamrul Ahsan delivered welcome speech in the meeting moderated by General Secretary of District CPC and valiant freedom fighter Akbar Hossain.