The most popular daily tabloid newspaper in the country is Manabzamin. During the previous government’s tenure, it gained attention for its outstanding investigative reports. However, their work has not stopped. At the same time, their newspaper is not lacking in advertisements. Despite this, discussions about journalists’ salaries have always persisted. But when we spoke to several journalists working in this media house, we found that the reality is far worse than expected. We even found journalists earning as little as 10,000 BDT per month in this high-cost economy. You may be surprised to hear this, but this is the actual reality of journalism in Dhaka.
If you look a little higher, you may find journalists earning between 12,000 to 15,000 BDT per month. A journalist from Manabzamin expressed frustration, saying, “I don’t think journalists anywhere in Bangladesh are paid less than this.”
However, when we spoke to Manabzamin editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, he claimed that no reporter in his organization earns 10,000 BDT. He stated that such situations existed 15 years ago. Currently, an office assistant earns 18,000 BDT, and no reporter is paid below 20,000 BDT.
He also mentioned that a trainee reporter now receives a minimum salary of 17,000 BDT. He asserted that salaries have never been withheld in his organization.
However, he admitted that they could not pay salaries as per expectations. He explained that he understands the hardships of professional journalists and would be happiest if they were paid better.
Matiur Rahman Chowdhury also pointed out that government advertisements had been scarce in the past 15 years, making it difficult to sustain the newspaper. He said, “I don’t expect the situation to change overnight. Everything depends on the country’s economy. We are standing on a fragile economic foundation, and the coming days will be even tougher.”
Initially, we thought Manabzamin had the lowest salaries, but then we came across Dainik Sangbad, Dhaka’s oldest newspaper, and the three newspapers and one online platform owned by fugitive Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s former press secretary Naimul Islam Khan. These media houses employ fresh graduates with master’s degrees at a salary as low as 5,000 BDT per month—100 BDT less than a tea worker’s monthly wage. A tea worker’s daily wage is now 170 BDT, which amounts to 5,100 BDT for 30 days of work.
The situation is similar in other newspapers in Dhaka. We investigated national dailies such as Desh Rupantor, Janakantha, Ittefaq, Jugantor, Bangladesh Pratidin, Kaler Kantho, and Jaijaidin. In most of these newspapers, salaries start at 12,000 to 15,000 BDT, with some cases reaching 18,000 BDT. This has led to growing frustration among journalists. According to multiple journalists, 60-70% of them struggle to manage their households at the end of the month, which has led to increasing family conflicts.
However, according to the 9th Wage Board implemented in 2018 for print media, the minimum salary in the 10th grade should be 24,000 BDT. Based on the newspapers we investigated, about 95% of them do not comply with this wage board. Meanwhile, for Grade-1 employees, the salary should be 87,000 BDT, but some media even pay over 100,000 BDT for these positions.
If we shift our focus to television media, the situation is even worse. There is no wage board or structured salary framework. Television channels hire employees at salaries ranging from 10,000 to 18,000 BDT. The glamorous world of television makes it difficult for outsiders to see the struggles of journalists. Among the major television channels known for low salaries, Somoy TV stands out. A trainee video editor there earns only 12,000 BDT, while a trainee newsroom editor starts at 15,000 BDT. Channel i, a mixed-format channel, has a similar reputation for low salaries.
Apart from these two, we also investigated My TV, Asian TV, Ekhan TV, Global TV, Nagorik TV, and ATN Bangla. In all these television channels, low salaries remain a major issue. However, top executives in these media houses receive salaries exceeding 100,000 BDT, with some earning over 200,000 BDT.
The most alarming situation exists in the mushrooming online news portals and IPTV stations. These media outlets have neither salary policies nor journalist protection measures. Some government approved media outlets have journalists working without salaries, simply out of passion. The sector is so chaotic that gathering accurate data on them is nearly impossible. Except for a few reputable online portals, most of them offer meager stipends or make money by selling press cards. Those that do pay regular salaries offer amounts similar to newspapers and television channels ranging from 10,000 to 18,000 BDT.
One example of the dire state of online journalism is an incident on August 19, 2024. That night, several online journalists went to the office of Amar Sangbad to demand their unpaid salaries. Instead of paying them, the newspaper’s editor, Hashem Reza, allegedly detained and assaulted them.
In another instance, a senior sub-editor from a major daily newspaper’s online division had to leave Dhaka and return to Kushtia due to financial difficulties. Speaking to us, he said, “Whatever salary I earned barely covered rent and food. Managing my children’s education and other expenses became impossible.”
The former editor of Daily Samakal, Alamgir Hossain, launched an online news portal called Barta24, where journalists were hired at low wages. However, within a year, salaries were stopped, and many journalists have still not received their dues.
Hadid Mohammad Zabir, who worked at Barta24, has now migrated to Portugal in search of a better future. He joined Barta24 for only 8,000 BDT after completing his journalism degree, which was later increased to 12,000 BDT. But even with this salary, he could not manage his expenses. Speaking to us, he said, “Half of my salary went into transportation and food outside. How could I survive? So I left everything behind and came abroad to change my fate.” He also revealed that Barta24 has yet to pay his last month’s salary.
The IPTV sector is in the worst state. Most government approved IPTV stations have no visible operations. We couldn’t even locate employees for most of them, and those we did find confirmed that they had no fixed salaries.
Apart from salary disparities, another serious issue across all media sectors is increments. In many cases, salaries have not increased for years. When increments do happen, they are often minimal.
For several days, we tried to contact Information and Broadcasting Advisor and other relevant officials regarding this issue, but we received no response.
The cost of living in Dhaka is extremely high. A bachelor’s minimum monthly expenses range between 25,000 to 30,000 BDT, while a middle-class family requires at least 50,000 BDT to survive.
In Dhaka’s central areas, the rent for a one room apartment ranges between 10,000 to 25,000 BDT per month, depending on the location. For a middle class family, monthly food expenses typically fall between 5,000 to 15,000 BDT, covering groceries and daily meals. Transportation costs, whether through private or public means, usually amount to 5,000 to 7,000 BDT per month. Additionally, internet and mobile phone bills generally range from 1,000 to 2,000 BDT. On top of these essentials, families also bear expenses related to healthcare, education, entertainment, and other necessities, which can add another 10,000 to 12,000 BDT monthly. Altogether, the total cost of living in Dhaka creates a heavy burden particularly for professionals like journalists who often earn far below this threshold.
With such high expenses, how can a journalist earning less than a tea worker or only 12,000 to 15,000 BDT a month survive? On top of that, salary irregularities further worsen their plight. Journalists in Dhaka often talk about their struggles, but unfortunately, there is no one to speak for them.