DHAKA, June 6, 2023 (BSS) - Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said the US has announced the visa policy due to BNP's negative and destructive politics and their evil efforts of resisting and boycotting elections. 

"BNP feels pain after the announcement of the US visa policy as they directly rejected the party's demand of caretaker government. Even the party didn't get support of other countries. So, they have no scope to speak about boycotting or resisting the polls like in the past, he said.

For this, the minister said, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has lost his sense and making different statements time to time for self-satisfaction.

Hasan made the remarks while exchanging views with reporters at the conference room of his ministry at Secretariat in the capital. 

He said BNP has to take part in the next elections and it is not possible for them to do the politics of resisting polls. 

The minister urged BNP to take preparation for the next general elections instead of planning sabotage. 

Replying to a query over the alliance between BNP and Jamaat, he said the duo has always been together and they never separated. They will try to create instability centering the elections, he added.

As part of their planning, he said, they have declared sit-in programme in front of power office. It is not a normal political programme, said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary. 

He said they (BNP-Jamaat) will not be allowed to carry out any type of violence. The countrymen remain alert and they know how to tackle them, he said.

The information minister said different political parties will declare various programmes before the polls and it is normal. "But we think that BNP and Jamaat are making their programmes to create an unstable situation. Their aim is to create a special situation through violence and catch fish in muddled water. But they wouldn't get the opportunity," said the ruling party leader.

Over rumours in social platforms, Hasan said spreading rumours in social media is a challenge globally. 

Referring to his joining the recent Asia Media Summit, he said the issue was discussed there and it was given most importance in the declaration. 

He said paid agents of BNP-Jamaat and some persons from home and abroad are spreading rumours. The government has taken different steps to resist the rumours.

The minister said the ability of BTRC will be increased from July while the information ministry has also taken various pragmatic steps to resist the rumours.

He hoped that the mainstream media would play a pivotal role in resisting rumours like before.

Over BNP's programme to seize the power office, Hasan said BNP had torched power office earlier. But at present, the countrymen would resist them and teach them a good lesson. The law enforcers are also ready, he added.

He said only 40 percent people were under the power facility when the AL government took office in 2009. Now cent percent people are under power facility, he added.

He said the present situation will be solved soon and the state minister for power has said that the situation will change within 15 days.