Ten journalists' platforms, including Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ), yesterday demanded that the government immediately publish the gazette of 9th wage board award for journalists.

In a joint statement, journalist leaders

condemned the writ petition filed by Newspaper Owners' Association of Bangladesh (Noab) challenging legality of the 9th wage board, as the High Court — following the writ petition - issued status quo for two months on publication of the gazette.

They said while the journalist community was waiting for the gazette publication, Noab filed a writ petition before the High Court to delay a settled issue.

They also sought Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's intervention in the matter.

The issue was settled at a tripartite meeting with Road Transport and Bridges Minister and head of the Wage Board Cabinet Committee Obaidul Quader in the chair, they said.

That is why filing a writ petition before the High Court was "ill-motivated", they added.

The petition will create a crisis of trust between media owners and newsmen, they said.

BFUJ is set to demonstrate in front of Jatiya Press Club at 11am today, along with its associate bodies doing the same at local press clubs across the country, a statement said.