Five Cox’s Bazar-based journalists working for local and national media outlets, including Bangladesh Post District Correspondent Sarwar Azam Manik, have won awards in a reporting competition on humanitarian journalism.
The awards were handed over to the winners, who include Ahmad Gias of Daily Azadi, Monotosh Badagya of Nagorik TV, Dipak Sharma Dipu of Dainik Ajker Desh-Bidesh and Sayeed Alamgir of JagoNews, at a ceremony held at Hotel Beach Way on Thursday.
A total of 24 journalists participated in the competition organised by XPOSAR Communication for USAID’s Emergency Food Security Project (EFSP). World Vision Bangladesh Rohingya Crisis Response (BRCR) has implemented the EFSP project.
Fredrick Christopher, Response Director of BRCR, Tofayel Ahmad, a veteran journalist in Cox’s Bazar and Special Correspondent of Kaler Katho, Md Rajab Ali, Chief of Party of EFSP, and Shiabur Rahman Shihab, Executive Editor of Bangladesh Post, handed over the award – cash prize, a crest and a certificate – to each winner.
World Vision officials Md Abdul Barek, George Sarkar and Dr Kabir Uddin Ahmad, Duke Sabyasachi, and Majed Chowdhury, Head of Creative Division of XPOSAR Communication, were also present, among others, at the ceremony. One winner was chosen for each of the five components of the EFSP. The components are Cash for Work, Livelihood, Income Generating Activities, Male Engagement in Prevention of Gender-based Violence, and Nutrition.
The participating journalists were first given a one-day training on humanitarian journalism and then taken to the EFSP project areas for the collection of information and interaction with the project participants.
Speaking at the ceremony, Tofayel Ahmad urged the government and non-government organisations to arrange more extensive training courses for journalists working in Cox’s Bazar, the south-eastern district that is host to over a million Rohingya refugees.
Frederick Christopher said the reports of the journalists who participated in the competition have reached all the countries where World Vision works. He announced that his organisation would arrange more training for journalists in the future.