DHAKA, May 21, 2023 (BSS) - Information and Broadcasting Minister and Awami League Joint General Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud today said BNP’s frequent calls for different movements are as like as empty vessel sounds much.

“Frequently BNP announces one-point movement and then increases point. These incidents happen often,” he said while replying to journalists about BNP’s call for one-point movement to oust the government at the Secretariat.

Dr Hasan said previously BNP had announced 10-point, 14-point, 12-point and latest 17-point movement.

“The size of BNP’s alliance also increases and decreases. As like as amoeba, they divide into two or three parts. We are witnessing this circus of BNP for long,” he mentioned.

He said the people are also witnessing absurd comments of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

When journalists asked a question citing a newspaper report about possibility of imposing sanction on the country, the minister replied, “You should ask the newspaper which has published the report. I don’t know about the matter.”

“One more thing is that the US is our development partner. We have very good relations with them,” he said.

The minister said the US has been providing support to build Bangladesh for the last 51 years. 

“They have been providing training to our security forces as well and the cooperation continues. We think the country is heading towards prosperity with the cooperation of our development partners. In this regard, the US is a very ‘profound development partner,” he said.

Noting that it has already been proved that sanction or counter-sanction doesn’t bring any benefit, he said many countries imposed sanction against Iran but Iran government didn’t fall rather it remains in good position.

Cuba could not be swayed even many years of sanctions and the government was not changed too, he said.

Many sanctions are against Myanmar for many years but the government has been not changed, he said.

He said many sanctions are against Russia but many European countries and many other countries are importing goods from them violating the sanctions. 

So, sanctions don’t bring any benefit, he said.

Asked about illegal hoarding and price hike of essential commodities, the minister said there is no crisis of goods in the country.

There are adequate storages of essential commodities as well as commodities are also being imported, he mentioned.

“It is sorrowful but true that some businessmen make evil efforts to control these. Some hoarders increase prices unnaturally to earn additional profit. It is illegal and unethical,” he said.

There is law in Bangladesh relating to storing and illegal hoarding in the country, he said, adding that Directorate of National Consumers Right Protection is working on that and “we have also got some yields”.

He said the government will take stern actions against those who are still involved in increasing prices of different commodities unnecessarily and creating public sufferings or making evil efforts to create sufferings.

Earlier, the minister unveiled the covers of political researcher HM Mehedi Hasan’s three books titled ‘Sabas Bangladesh’, ‘Chhotoder Bangabandhu’ and novel on Liberation War ‘Bhalobashar Ful’.

Dr Hasan congratulated writer Mehedi Hasan and publishers Anarjo Publications and Arjan Prakashan.

Writer Mehedi Hasan and publisher Abu Hashem also joined the cover unveiling of the books.