DHAKA, Feb 15, 2022 (BSS) - Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr
Hasan Mahmud today said the habit of telling 'no' by BNP to everything
is tantamount to saying no to democracy.

   "BNP is telling 'no' continuously to all. No one could give an
example of such a participatory process even in many old democratic
countries as how the search committee having discussion with political
parties and the civil society," he said.

   The minister added: "Initiative has been taken to form the Election
Commission in a transparent manner. BNP supported intellectuals and
those persons who talked in favour of BNP also went there (search
committee). BNP's habit of telling 'no' to everything is tantamount to
saying no to democracy."

  Hasan stated these while addressing a function of cheques
distribution among the journalists at an auditorium of Press Institute
of Bangladesh (PIB) in the city.

  Bangladesh Journalists Welfare Trust organized the function with its
managing director Subhash Chanda Badal in the chair.

  PIB director general Zafar Wazed, Bangladesh Federal Union of
Journalists (BFUJ) president Omar Faruque, general secretary Dip Azad,
Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) president Quddus Affard and trust
member Kashem Humayun, among others, addressed the function.

  Hasan said BNP and Jamaat did politics of arson and patrol bombs
attacks which were not held in the contemporary world. But, the
anti-people politics of the political party, BNP, is not being exposed
in mass media, he added.

  He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stands beside the journalists
of Bangladesh during the COVID-19 situation and there is no such
example in neighbouring countries. About Taka 6 crore has been
distributed as financial assistance through the trust to the
journalists as per the directives of the Premier, said Hasan, also
Awami League joint general secretary.

  He said journalists irrespective of all opinions and beliefs got
assistance. Even those persons who talked in front of Jatiya Press
Club and wrote columns at newspapers against the government also got
the assistance and it (assistance) will be continued in future also,
he added.

  The minister said, "We did elections under the party banner. But, we
are determined to do work for every person and for every party when we
get the responsibility of running the state."

  He said BNP leaders who criticized the vaccination (COVID-19) issue
also got the booster doses. He also urged the BNP leaders who didn't
take the booster dose till now to take the dose soon.

  Hasan said journalists work like a beacon of a society and they
played pivotal role in every movement including the struggle of
freedom and to build the country after the independence. But,
currently there are many inefficient journalists and fake mass media
across the country when the mass media flourished vastly, he added.

   For this, he said, real journalists have been being defamed and it
is needed to end. "According to the request of the journalists'
leaders, the ministry has decided in principle to make a database of
journalists based on a policy. We have requested the press council to
do this work. The real journalists will be placed in the database if
they make the database based on the policy. And then discipline will
be established in this sector," he added.

   Later, the minister joined a webinar organized by Chattogram
Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Japan External Trade
Organization (JETRO), a Japanese government-related organization,
marking the 50 years anniversary of diplomatic relations between
Bangladesh and Japan.

  In his speech, Hasan hoped that the friendly relations between the
two countries will be strengthened in the upcoming days.