‘If Journalists Stay United, No  One Can Influence You’

 Parvin Sultana Rabbi, Director (Training & Study) of Press Institute Bangladesh (PIB), stated that journalists are not friends of anyone—only journalists can be friends of fellow journalists. This is because when a journalist reports against someone, that person considers them an enemy from that moment onward. 

No matter how close or dear that person may be, the reality is that journalists today cannot be friends with fellow journalists, which has led to their unfortunate situation. She emphasized that if journalists remain united, no one will be able to exert influence over them. 

She made these remarks on Thursday evening (February 27) as the chief guest at the concluding ceremony of a three-day training workshop on news reporting, attended by 35 journalists from various upazilas of Narayanganj. The workshop was organized by PIB at Narayanganj Press Club. 

Parvin Sultana Rabbi also highlighted the importance of journalists knowing how to ask questions—where, when, and what to ask. She remarked that over the past 16 years, journalists have often engaged in flattery rather than proper journalism, which allowed authoritarian rule to take hold. She advised journalists to stay united and be dedicated to their profession, noting that only those who are interested and focused can advance in journalism. 

Additionally, she mentioned that if the press club wishes, PIB can arrange a separate training session on mobile journalism in the future. 

The closing ceremony was presided over by Narayanganj Press Club President Arif Alam Dipu, who expressed gratitude to PIB for organizing such a timely training session for journalists in Narayanganj. He also requested another training program within the next six months. 

Other attendees included former General Secretary of Narayanganj Press Club Abu Saud Masud, PIB Assistant Trainer Jilhaz Uddin Nipon, PIB officials, employees, and journalists from Narayanganj. 

Later, the chief guest, PIB Director Parvin Sultana Rabbi, distributed certificates to 35 journalists who participated in the training workshop, including Imtiaz Ahmed, City Editor of `Dainik Shitalokkha. 

During the three-day training, resource persons included Associate Professor Dr. Saiful Alam Khan from the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism at Dhaka University, Associate Professor Dr. Jamil Khan from Daffodil University’s Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, fact-checker Ridwanul Islam, and PIB Assistant Trainer Jilhaz Uddin Nipon.