The daily Bhorer Kagoj, one of the leading newspapers of the 1990s, has announced the termination of its print publication.

The newspaper issued a notice yesterday stating, "The Bhorer Kagoj authority has decided to shut the main office of the newspaper from today under Section 12 of the Labour Act-2006, due to reasons beyond the owner's control."

Bhorer Kagoj online remains operational.

The decision comes in the face of protests in the last few days by some journalists of Bhorer Kagoj, including a few pro-BNP ones, demanding salaries according to the 8th Wage Board and payment of arrears from their date of appointment, said sources at the newspaper.

A journalist of the newspaper seeking anonymity said that since August 5, 2024, a group of journalists supporting BNP have been trying to establish control in the newspaper, and they intensified their efforts when its editor was sent to jail.

On Sunday, a group of journalists, along with union leaders and outsiders, held a demonstration in front of the newspaper's main office, he added.

In response, the owner issued the shutdown notice.

A senior journalist at Bhorer Kagoj clarified that no employee had unpaid salaries.

However, the issue arose because some journalists, hired on a consolidated basis, were demanding wages as per the 8th Wage Board since the beginning of their job, leading to the conflict, he added.

No journalists from Bhorer Kagoj wanted to make any comments on the record.

Bhorer Kagoj is considered one of the leading newspapers that established a new trend in journalism in the 1990s for its novel features, magazines, and supplements.

The major Bangla daily went to print on February 15, 1992, from Dhaka.

Nayeemul Islam Khan was the founding editor of the newspaper. He was followed by Matiur Rahman, Benazir Ahmed, Abed Khan, and currently, Shyamal Dutta, who is now behind bars.

Meanwhile, a faction of the Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) expressed dismay in light of the newspaper's abrupt closure without prior notice.

Yesterday, in a statement, DUJ President Sohel Haider Chowdhury and General Secretary Akter Hossain said the sudden closure notice of the 34-year-old newspaper disheartened the working journalists and staff there.

"If the notice is enforced, many journalists will lose their jobs and struggle to sustain their livelihoods amidst rising living expenses and inflation. Such decisions can never be considered acceptable," the statement said.

Therefore, the DUJ has urged the authorities to reconsider their decision.