The Digital Media Forum (DMF) conferred 'Digital Media Excellence Award 2024' on five journalists in a programme recently.
Besides, six individuals were honoured with the DMF special excellence award in recognition of their contributions to the country’s media, digital, and business sectors.
Director general of the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB), Zafar Wazed, Jatiya Press Club (JPC) general secretary and Daily Bhorer Kagoj editor Shyamal Dutta, Dhaka University’s mass communication & journalism department professor Robaet Ferdous, and jury board members UNB special correspondent Abdur Rahman Jahangir and Daily Sabuj Nishan’s head of news Mohammad Moksedur Rahman Wali handed over the awards to the recipients at a ceremony at Bishwa Sahitya Kendra in the capital.
The five award-winning journalists are Eiahia Nakib of Bonik Barta, SM Marzan Ivan of Rtv, Jafar Iqbal of The Daily Kalbela, Sabbin Hasan of Samakal, and Yeasin Hasan of risingbd.com.
Besides, Joy Barua, founder and CEO of Robolife Technologies, Bibradhan Roy Emon, deputy manager of the Daily Prothom Alo, Mohammad Mohsin PPM (BAR), officer in charge of Tejgaon police station, Abdullah Jayed, founder and CEO of FoundedNext & NEXT Ventures and director of Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS), Rafat Ul Islam Khan, managing director Khabar Dabar Catering and Sabbir Hasan Nasir, managing director of SWAPNO, were also given DMF Special Excellence Award.
DMF, an organisation dedicated to journalists and digital media workers, introduced the award this year to help further advance the country's digital media industry and uplift it to international standards.
DMF president Md Delowar Hossain said more than a hundred journalists from print and electronic media submitted their reports for the award.
Speaking at the programme, PIB DG Zafar Wazed, a recipient of the second-highest civilian award in Bangladesh, underscored the significance of this initiative in fostering excellence and professionalism within the digital media landscape of Bangladesh.
He said the DMF's efforts will not only be limited to distributing awards but also to enhancing the standards of digital journalism through concerted efforts and initiatives.
JPC general secretary Shyamal Dutta stressed the need for responsible journalism on digital platforms, highlighting the importance of maintaining quality standards.