Considered as the conscience of the nation, journalists are bestowed with the responsibility of providing true and unbiased information to the public and letting them choose what may be the best in their interest. Bangladeshi journalists have been performing their duties with dedication and professionalism, in most cases, just for the sake of serving the people and the country. But in this thankless profession, they have little to gain in terms of monetary benefits except for being complacent about their sacred duty of serving as merchants of truth and watchdogs of society.

Considering this fact, the Bashundhara Media Award, introduced by the country’s largest business conglomerate Bashundhara Group, is an enormous contribution to the field of journalism as a new source of inspiration and honour for the journalists of the country. This year the maiden award has been given to 11 journalists at national level and 64 at district level, acknowledging their outstanding contribution to investigative reporting and other categories. It will surely cheer up not only the winners, but also all other newsmen of the country to work with more sincerity and enthusiasm.

This is the reason why journalism awards of all kinds have proliferated exponentially in scope and number across different countries in the last few decades. In transitioning societies with a growing media industry, journalism awards have also sprouted and rapidly multiplied – a reflection of the emerging belief in the primacy of market competition and the principles of professional autonomy. This sort of award also crystallise the culture of the field and socialise journalists into informal and formal professional norms. And Bashundhara Group has provided the award winners with that opportunity and opened the scope for others to grab that prospect in the future.