Dhaka, Oct. 14 -- The Bangladesh Press Council has sought powers to register and certify journalists, impose financial penalties on editors, publishers and journalists over published reports, and extend its oversight to online news outlets.

It has also proposed making a bachelor's degree, necessary training and at least 10 years of journalism experience mandatory for anyone seeking to become the editor of a newspaper.

The proposals were presented at a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Tuesday as part of an effort to expand the council's powers to protect press freedom and journalists' professional interests.

However, a member who attended the meeting told bdnews24.com tha...