Prime Minister Tarique Rahman believes in press freedom, and the media should play a responsible role in presenting verified information to the public, Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon said on Wednesday.
“Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has always believed in the freedom of the press,” he said while addressing a press conference at the Karobi Hall of the Prime Minister’s Office.
Rumon urged journalists and media organisations to exercise greater caution in verifying information, particularly as misinformation and misleading content are increasingly circulating on social media.
He cited an incident involving the renovation of an old temple, saying a social media video had portrayed the demolition of the temple as an act by the government, while information gathered later showed that the structure was being dismantled as part of its renovation.
“We are seeing various kinds of information and misinformation on social media and in some newspapers. Sometimes it is difficult even for us to know what is true and what is not,” the additional press secretary said.
He suggested that television channels and newspapers could consider regularly presenting verified information to help people distinguish facts from rumours.
“If every television channel gives 10 or 15 minutes, and newspapers regularly publish verified information on the rumours, claims and facts circulating throughout the day, people could know before going to bed what they saw or heard during the day was true and what was not,” Rumon said.
‘PM believes in press freedom’
The additional press secretary said Tarique Rahman has a long-standing association with the newspaper industry and had been the publisher of a national daily before becoming Prime Minister.
He said this background demonstrated the Prime Minister’s commitment to press freedom.
Recalling Tarique Rahman’s work before entering government, Rumon said he had been involved in research and policy-related work at the BNP chairperson’s office in Banani, where information on different parts of the country was collected and analysed.
He gave an example of Tarique Rahman’s detailed knowledge of local issues, saying when a prospective parliamentary candidate once discussed problems in his constituency, Tarique Rahman gave him detailed information about different areas in the constituency and their agricultural conditions.
The additional press secretary said such research work had helped build a detailed database on different parts of Bangladesh.
He also said the Prime Minister’s government faces challenges inherited from previous administrations and urged people to exercise patience as the government works to address them.
‘Gas situation being monitored’
Referring to the recent gas shortage, Rumon said the Prime Minister has taken steps to improve gas supply and continues monitoring the situation.
He said Tarique Rahman had earlier given a timeframe for gas supply to return to a better level rather than simply announcing that the situation had already improved.
“The Prime Minister did not stop after making the announcement. He has set up a monitoring cell, and people like us are working there to monitor how much gas pressure is reaching different areas,” the additional press secretary said.
He said the government is also working to address power and energy-related problems and urged the media and the public to cooperate with the government’s efforts.
Rumon said the country is facing a substantial burden of debt and other inherited challenges and called for patience while the government implements its plans.
“Let us work shoulder to shoulder to build Bangladesh. Let us help Prime Minister Tarique Rahman as much as we can in building Bangladesh,” he said.
The additional press secretary said the government’s efforts should be assessed in the context of the challenges it inherited and the time required to implement long-term solutions.