Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday urged journalists to play a constructive and responsible role which would be helpful for the country's development.

“The government firmly believes in freedom of press, but attention needs to be given so that no one can use this with childish attitude,” she said.

The PM was speaking at a programme at her office, marking the distribution of assistance among journalists from Bangladesh Journalists' Welfare Trust.

About criticisms against her, Hasina said she cared little about who wrote what against her.

“I think a little about who writes in favour and against me. When I go for doing any work, I always think whether I've the confidence of doing it and whether I've made the right decision. I do the work with confidence.”

Hasina said everybody has the right to speak and the government always believes in the freedom of newspapers and journalists. “No one can say we ever gagged anyone; we never did that, and we don't do that either.”

Rather, the government did whatever necessary to establish freedom of press, she added.

She regretted that she never got wide coverage in newspapers. “I didn't get the cooperation of the newspapers... maybe this is because of the owners, but I always have relations with journalists.”

The PM said the government had been working tirelessly for the development of the country.

“People will evaluate how much success I've achieved and how much service the people are getting. But I think serving them as their servant is my duty.”

She announced that Tk 20 crore would be provided as seed money to Bangladesh Journalists' Welfare Trust. She requested the owners of media outlets to come forward to increase the amount.

A total of 113 journalists suffering from various diseases and financial hardship and family  members of some deceased journalists were given financial assistance.

Chaired by Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, the programme was addressed, among others, by PM's Media Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, State Minister for Information Tarana Halim, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Ministry AKM Rahmatullah, President of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists Molla Jalal, Secretary General Shaban Mahmud, President of Dhaka Union of Journalists Abu Jafar Surjo and General Sectary Sohel Haider Chowdhury.