DHAKA, June 25, 2023 (BSS) - Information and Broadcasting Minister and Awami League (AL) Joint General Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud today said hatching conspiracy, bringing statements against the country by appointing lobbyists and anti-state activities for political gains are tantamount to treason.

"BNP is busy to do it (anti-state activities). We should remain alert," he said while addressing a prize giving ceremony at an auditorium of Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) here.

SoMaSHTe (Society for Media and Suitable Human-communication Techniques) organized the ceremony in association with Global Health Advocacy Incubator to give awards for reporting on protecting child death from drowning issue.

Dr Hasan said the members of different forces including army, navy, air force, coastguard and police of the country are working very sincerely in the peacekeeping mission of the United Nations and Bangladesh is currently the top contributor of uniformed personnel to UN peacekeeping operations, he added.

But, he said, it is regrettably true that conspiracy has begun on this issue too. For this, some professional statement giver organizations have been making statements for the last few days, he noted.

The information minister said those organizations had made statements to stop the trials of war criminals. But, they didn't make any statements against the torching and killing of innocent people by BNP-Jamaat during 2013, 2014 and 2015, he added.

He said the organizations remained silent when people were killed like birds in Palestine. But, they gave statements over peacekeepers of Bangladesh which indicates deep conspiracy against the country, he added.

On the other hand, he said, United Nations Under-Secretaries General have highly praised the contribution Bangladesh to the peacekeeping mission. But, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch made the statements when a high-level delegation of the UN is visiting Bangladesh, he added.

Congratulating Bangladeshi peacekeepers, Dr Hasan said the UN Under-Secretary General Catherine Pollard met with the Speaker of the House yesterday and highly praised the contribution of Bangladeshi peacekeepers to peacekeeping mission. 

About the next polls, the minister said the upcoming general elections is to protect the land and sovereignty of Bangladesh - whether the global brokers would carry out evil efforts to achieve their interests by installing a subservient government or move ahead on the path of progress and development under the supervision of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. It will be decided in the next polls, he added.

He sought cooperation from all including journalists in this regard.

Earlier in the function, Dr Hasan extended thanks to the organizers, saying according to statistic of 2016, about 10,000 children died by drowning.

He said knowing how to swimming is a must to prevent drowning.

Dr Hasan said the government has reduced the death of mother and children under the supervision of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN.

Later, the minister handed over prizes among the winners.

The winners are: Arefin Appi of The Business Post, Zinia Kabir Suchona of Channel 24, Partho Sangkar Saha of the daily Prothom Alo, Masud Rana of Jagonews, Sohagi Akther of Somoy Tribune, Jhorna Moni of the daily Bhorer Kagoj, Kawsar Soheli of Massranga TV, Nilima Jahan of the Daily Star, Swapna Chakrabarti of the daily Janakantho, Jahidir Rahman of the daily Somokal, Sajeeb Ahmed of the daily Kaler Kantho, Asif Islam Shown of the Business Post and Arefin Tanjib of Channel-i online.

Dhaka University former vice-chancellor and chairman of the board of directors of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) Professor AAMS Arefin Siddique presided over the meeting while SoMaSHTe director Mir Mashrur Zaman conducted it.

Dhaka Tribune executive editor Riaz Ahmed, the daily Ittefaq diplomatic correspondent Mainul Alam, Bangladesh Television executive editor (news) Jahidul Islam, Global Health Advocacy Incubator communications manager Sarwar-e-Alam, among others, addressed the function.