DHAKA, May 12, 2021 (BSS)- Strongly criticising BNP’s activities, Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said the recent politics of BNP is limited to the Begum Khaleda Zia’s health issue and they (BNP) could not come out of this.
“They (BNP) don’t think about the health of the countrymen. They only think about Begum Khaleda Zia as they are merely concerned about her health,” he said, addressing a function of distribution of cheques of Journalists Welfare Trust among the affected journalists due to the COVID-19 pandemic at the auditorium of Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) in the capital.
Earlier, the minister handed over a cheque for Taka 10 crores on behalf of the Prime Minister to the trust Managing Director Zafar Wazed.
Hasan said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has told a press conference that Begum Zia is better than before and breathing normally. That means, Begum Khaleda Zia is recovering soon, he added.
But, he said, when the government has told that there is no legal scope of sending her (Begum Zia) abroad, they (BNP) are criticising and issuing threats. Many are laughing at them, said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.
“I would like to urge Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir not to limit their politics only to the Begum Khaleda Zia’s health issue. Do the politics for the countrymen,” he said.
The minister said during the last 12 years the politics of BNP was limited to Begum Zia’s cases, her punishment, pain at knees and waist. For this, they are becoming smaller, he added.
On the other hand, Hasan said, the politics of Awami League is for people. Foods and Eid gifts have been distributed across the country on behalf of the party (AL), he added.
Besides, he said, the only works of BNP and their friends are to criticise the government and its deeds.
About bringing discipline in the job of journalists, the minister said it is needed to bring discipline for the security of job and the salary of journalists.
The minister said some persons don’t pay salaries to their journalists after getting declarations of their newspapers. “From the very beginning, I have been trying to bring discipline. But I’ve faced many obstacles. We have already fixed the actual number of publications through different agencies of intelligence. I want your cooperation,” said Hasan.
He said it is time to think about those media outlets which are not paying salaries properly and have fired journalists.
Information and Broadcasting Secretary Khaja Mia, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) president Molla Jalal, acting secretary general Abdul Mazid, Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) president Quddus Affrad and general secretary Sajjad Alam Khan Tapu addressed the function as special guests with the trust managing director and PIB director general Zafar Wazed in the chair.