BNP has realized that they cannot win in the next national election, and that is why they are making excuses for not participating in it, Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud said today. “We want to compete with and defeat BNP. However, they will not get the opportunity to cause mayhem as they did in 2014. If they try, the countrymen will throw them into the sea,” he said. He made the remarks at a press conference held at the AL party office in Rajshahi. Awami League wants every political party to participate in the elections, he said, adding that the caretaker government system only exists in Pakistan. Also Read: BNP’s march from Shahjadpur to Malibagh begins “BNP wants to follow Pakistan, but our electoral process will be similar to that of Australia, India, the United States, and Japan. The election will be held as per the country’s constitution,” the minister said. The AL leader also said that BNP attempted to destroy democracy during the 2014 national election. “They burnt down 500 voting centers and killed several election officers,” he added. The information minister also stated that due to the country's current economic situation, using EVMs (electronic voting machines) in all seats is not possible. “The Election Commission proposed an approximately one million dollar project to purchase EVMs. However, given the global economic situation, we decided not to proceed with the project,” he said. Also Read: BNP unveils 4-day march programme in Dhaka from Jan 28 He also said that because elections are held under the jurisdiction of the Election Commission, the government cannot transfer any OC, UNO, or constable after the election date is announced. Mayor of Rajshahi City Corporation and AL presidium member AHM Khairuzzaman Liton and MP Md. Ayen Uddin were also present, among others, at the press conference.  

Information Minister Hasan Mahmud said on Friday that the Victory Day's vow is to build a fully developed country by 2041 and transform Digital Bangladesh into Smart Bangladesh by suppressing all anti-national, anti-independence forces and conspiracies, including BNP. He was speaking to the reporters after placing a wreath at the portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in the city's Dhanmondi, marking the country’s Victory Day. Read more: PM releases postage stamp on Victory Day He also said all the leaders of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, the descendants of who were anti-liberation evil-forces, are engaged in anti-national conspiracy. “When the country is moving forward, even after five decades of independence, the anti-independence forces are plotting various conspiracies against the country,” Hasan said. “They (BNP) are giving wrong information about the country to foreigners and are involved in conspiracies at home and abroad.” Paying respect to the martyrs of the liberation war, Hasan Mahmud said the dreams that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman that led the struggle for the country's independence, could not be realized due to his assassination on August 15, 1975. Read more: President, PM witness Victory Day parade Under the leadership of Bangabandhu's daughter, Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh has made incredible progress in the last 14 years on the way to fulfilling the dream of Bangabandhu, he added. “We graduated into a middle-income country and became self-sufficient in food.”

Police conducted a search operation at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office for the sake of investigation, Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud said today. “It is not unusual for police to search the BNP office, as they have found bombs there, and the law enforcement agencies must check whether there were grenades or other deadly weapons,” he said. The information minister came up with the remarks while unveiling a book titled “Politics of Bangabandhu’s Three Generations” at the Secretariat. Read more: Diplomats don’t have the power to put anyone in power: Information Minister Talking about the BNP’s allegation of police “ransacking” its central office, Hasan said, “Law enforcement agencies carried out the search operation for the sake of investigation.” Criticising BNP for “exaggerating the damages” during the search operation, the minister said BNP “flopped” on December 10. “They boasted of gathering 10 lakh people, but they finished their rally with only 50,000 people.” Read more: BNP MPs resigned to impede democracy: Hasan Mahmud

The people of the country will decide who will be in power and diplomats do not have the power to put anyone in power, said Information Minister Hasan Mahmud on Tuesday. “People own this country. They will decide who will be in power and who will not be. Diplomats do not have the power to put anyone in power,” he said in response to a question from reporters after a meeting with Bangladesh Climate Change Journalists’ Forum at the secretariat. The government will not allow anyone to create chaos in the country and resist any such bid along with Awami League leaders and activists and the people of the country, said the minister. “BNP has been given a venue as they wanted Suhrawardy Udyan. Why are they so reluctant to go there after getting permission? They just want to hold public meetings on the streets but citizens don’t want street rally. Because, it causes public suffering,” he said. Read: Govt helping BNP to make Dhaka rally a success: Info Minister In fact, they want to make an issue, not a public meeting, said the minister. About the arrest warrants against BNP leaders Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and Ishraque Hossain , he said BNP leaders and activists are involved in arson violence. “We have the videos and audios of their instructions. Court has issued arrest warrants, police will take action as they are accused in cases. Court has rejected bail, the government has nothing to do here,” Hasan Mahmud added.

Mentioning that BNP has started terrorist activities again, Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud on Saturday said that the country cannot be handed over to the patron of terrorists. The minister said these while addressing the tri-annual conference of Chattogram North District Krishok League, held at Chattogram Engineers Institution as chief guest. “Those who used to snatch money from people by building Hawa Bhaban, who installed poles without providing electricity, who attacked grenades on August 21st, who created Bangla Bhai all over the country and killed people, We can't hand over the country to those terrorists,” he said. Read more: Hasan Mahmud to BNP: Don't play with people's lives “Tarique Rahman means the son of corruption and five times champion in corruption. If someone is asked ‘Who is the biggest thief of Hawa Bhaban?’, the answer is Tarique Zia” he said. “If BNP comes back to power, they will peel the skin of everyone's back. We can't hand over the country to those who want to pe people's backs, so everyone should be united,” he added. North District Krishak League President Nazrul Islam Chowdhury presided over the function while Krishak League president agriculturist Samir Chand inaugurated the conference. Chattogram North District AL President MA Salam, its General Secretary Sheikh Ataur Rahman, newly elected Zilla Parisad Chairman ATM Pearul Islam, Central Krishok League leader Akbar Ali Chowdhury, Rezaul Karim Reza, among others, addressed the function as special guests. Read more: Jubo League is enough to face BNP: Hasan Mahmud Earlier in the morning, Dr. Hasan Mahmud, also the joint general secretary of Awami League, visited Chittagong's historic Pologround where Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will address the public meeting on December 4 as the chief guest.

Information Minister Hasan Mahmud on Thursday said if Bangladesh Jamaat-e Islami apply for the registration under different name then it will come under the notice of the Election Commission (EC). “The Election Commission will surely look into the matter,” the minister said in response to a question from reporters at the Secretariat. Hasan said any political party can apply to the EC to get registered and it is the EC which will decide whether any party will be given registration or not. His remarks came amid reports that all leaders of newly launched Bangladesh Democratic Party (BDP) that sought EC’s registration belong to Jamaat and its student front Shibir. BDP filed for registration on Wednesday. In 2013, the High Court declared the registration of Jamaat-e-Islami with the EC illegal effectively banning it from taking part in general elections. In 2018, the EC formally deregistered the Islamic fundamentalist party as it failed to fulfill its prerequisites. However, Jamaat is still operating as a legal political party amid calls from the secular forces to ban it for its role in the genocide during the Liberation War it vehemently opposed.  However, on Wednesday, Election Commissioner Md Alamgir said that Bangladesh Jamaat-e Islami can get registered with the EC under a different name if they fulfill all the conditions. Alamgir said the registration of Jamaat-e-Islami was cancelled as its charter was not consistent with the Constitution and the spirit of the Liberation War.

A High Court Circuit Bench will be formed in Chattogram within two months as demanded by the local lawyers, said Information Minister Hasan Mahmud. The minister said he has talked to the law minister regarding the formation of HC circuit bench here. He said this at the installation of the executive committee of Chattogram District Bar Association on Thursday night. Hasan said lawyers can play a big role in shaping the society and the state, and leading the society in the right direction. “Lawyers are the natural leaders of society. That is why it is easy for them to do politics," he said. Read: No bar to implementing wage board once case is disposed: Hasan Mahmud Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a student of law department in Dhaka University as he wanted to be a lawyer. But he could not fulfill his dream as the university authority expelled him, he added. “If you look at the first parliament of 1970, the legislature of East Pakistan before the independence of the country, the legislature of Pakistan and the legislature of Bengal in India, the majority members were lawyers," he said. The minister also said Chattogram District Lawyers Association is the highest bar among the District Bars of Bangladesh. The past members of the bar led the struggle for independence of this country as well as the independence struggle of India before the partition, he added. “Many members of Chattogram Bar have played a role in every turn of the country’s history,” he added.

Information Minister Hasan Mahmud on Sunday said since foreign minister AK Abdul Momen is none of Awami League’s central committee, the party give him no responsibility to advocate for it in the foreign lands. “He is an MP of Awami League but none of the party’s central committee. So, Bangladesh Awami League has not given that responsibility to anyone (him) to say something on behalf of the party going abroad,” he said while exchanging views with journalists in his ministry here in the capital. Hasan, also an AL joint general secretary, said this when his attention was drawn to the comments of AL presidium member Abdur Rahman that Momen is none of the party and his recent statement (seeking Indian support for Sheikh Hasina) is not the party’s stance. Also read: Momen comments: AL expects PM to formally look into it Hasan said they believe in the power of the people. “We believe that none but the people can sustain the government,” he said. He said the party is not responsible if someone shares his personal views with someone. “If someone talks to someone, it is his responsibility. Neither the government nor the party gave him any such responsibility,” he added. "I think if you are in a responsible position, you need to speak responsibly,” he continued. Hasan claimed that BNP doesn’t believe in the power of the people, rather curries favour with the European Union, the United States and China regularly to come in power. “In this country, no one can put someone in power,” he said. Also read: Momen's India remarks have no link with AL: Quader In reply to a question if there is any initiative to bring back BNP leader Tarique Rahman to the country, the minister said Tarique has been convicted with life-term imprisonment in the August 21 grenade attack case. “We continue talks with the United Kingdom. But they have some domestic laws where there are complexities (to bring him back),” he added.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud urged the countrymen on Friday to desert those who are trying to turn secular Bangladesh into a communal nation. Hasan Mahmud, also ruling Awami League’s Joint General Secretary, was speaking at the inauguration of this year’s Chariot Festival organized by International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) at Chattogram city’s Prabartak Intersection area. Hasan said that festivals of many communities jointly form the Bangladeshi culture. The Chariot Festival is such a celebration. Father of The Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had created Bangladesh to free the people of this land from the poisonous air of communal hatred. “Communal forces have tried repeatedly to damage the secular character of Bangladesh. Our government has always contained such forces with an iron hand. That’s why vested quarters couldn’t cause any damage during last year’s Durga Puja festival,” Hasan said. Lamenting some opposition political parties, Hasan added that whenever the national election arrives, they start to spread the propaganda that the AL is a communal and anti-India party. “Although these types of propaganda don’t work anymore,” Hasan added. Read: Media should not publish unverified news: Hasan Mahmud Mentioning the steps that the AL government has taken in recent years for the country’s Hindu community, Hasan said that the government has increased the allocation for Pujas and other Hindu festivals more than anyone has ever done. He also said that more and more people from the Hindu community are getting government jobs nowadays, including in the police force, the army, the judiciary and the administration. “The government has selected a Hindu as the Police Commissioner of Chattogram, which is the first of its kind in the country. Besides, the government had also chosen another Hindu person as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in the recent past,” said Hasan. Hasan also said that the current government under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina is working round-the-clock to ensure equal rights and opportunities for people of every faith.

Newspapers and electronic media in Bangladesh are enjoying unbridled freedom during the present government, Information and Broadcast Minister Hassan Mahmud told the Parliament said on Tuesday. Replying to a tabled question by Jatiya Party MP from Dhaka Syed Abu Hossain, the minister also said that free flow of information has been ensured to help accelerate national development. He said the government has formulated national media policy 2014, enacted Right to Information Act 2009 and established Information Commission and formulated online media policy 2017 to help journalists pursue objective journalism. He mentioned that due to the liberal broadcasting policy of the media-friendly government there are 46 televisions, 22 FM radios and 33 community radio channels in the private sector. READ: No festival planned for Padma Bridge opening: Info Minister The minister said 108 online news portals have been given registration certificates.  In addition, registration certificates have been issued to online portals of 108 daily newspapers, while work is underway to give permission to 48 more. Responding to a question from ruling party MP from Dhaka Habib Hasan, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said the government has no plan to provide new gas connections to residential areas. Responding to a question from ruling party MP  from Chattogram M Abdul Latif, the state minister said the country's demand for natural gas is currently around 3,700 million cubic feet per day.  In the FY2021–2022, the daily production from domestic gas fields has been 2,432 million cubic feet and the capacity to import LNG is equivalent to one thousand million cubic feet per day.  Of this, a target of importing 625 million cubic feet of LNG per day was set FY 2021-2022 ending on June 30. Responding to a question from ruling party MP from Bhola Ali Azam, Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun said  during the outgoing financial year the country's fertilizer factories have produced 9,85,889 tonnes of fertilizer till June 16, 2022 against the annual target of 9.5 lakh tonnes.  He also said that urea fertilizer is imported from abroad.