ZCZC
BSS-38
INU-TRAINING-JOURNOS
BNP’s demand for Khaleda’s release amounts to ridiculing democracy: Inu
DHAKA, July 12, 2018(BSS) – Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu said that release of convicts could not be a precondition for participation in election.
“It is ridiculing democracy and an insult to rule of law,” he said, adding that when former chief executives were convicted in other countries they go quietly to prison.
He cited the example of South Korea, Malaysia and Brazil to illustrate his point. “Even in the US when a case was proved against a president they quietly step down,” he added.
Referring to the freedom of the media, he said, “The government of Sheikh Hasina was fully committed to it as it was the foundation of democracy.”
However, he quickly added that it was not without its responsibilities.
Comparing the freedom of the press to the “checks and balances” in any democratic society, he said, “There are courts to protect the people’s freedom but there are prisons to jail transgressors too.”
The minister was speaking at a certificate awarding ceremony for 4,000 online journalists who had received online training.
Speaking about the training program, he said that there would be more of the same for better educating journalists and people in future.
The training program was organized by the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB).
BSS/ASG/AS/MRU/2050hrs