Shampadak Parishad (Editors’ Council), the association of newspaper editors, elected a new executive committee with  The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam as president and Bangladesh Protidin Editor Naem Nizam as its general secretary. The new body, consisting five office-bearers and four executive committee members, was formed in a meeting held on Sunday at The Daily Star Centre in the capital, says a press release issued yesterday and signed by Shampadak Parishad outgoing Secretary General Mahfuz Anam . The tenure of the new executive committee will be for two years, from October 1, 2019, to September 30, 2021, the release added. The other newly-elected members of the council’s executive body are Ittefaq Editor Tasmima Hossain as vice-president,  Bonik Barta Editor and Publisher Dewan Hanif Mahmud as assistant

general secretary, Shamakal Acting Editor Mustafiz Shafi as treasurer and four members: Manabzamin  Editor in Chief Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, Bhorer Kagoj Editor Shymal Dutta, Jugantor Acting Editor Saiful Alam and  Dainik Azadi Editor M.A. Malek

At the meeting, the council also decided to launch a website of the institution, recruit new members and organise seminars and events on press freedom and other journalism related issues. The council plans to hold a seminar in the coming months on strengthening the future of the print media and related challenges. It was also decided that the council will expand its activities and membership at the district level, the press release said.

The Editors’ Council (Sampadak Parishad) was founded in 2013 to play an active role in protecting press freedom, developing professional journalism and strengthening the editorial institution. The founding president of Sampadak Parishad was former editor of the Samakal late Golam Sarwar, who passed away in 2018.