Information Minister
Abandon those who want to make Bangladesh a communal country: Hasan Mahmud
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.
Media in Bangladesh enjoys total freedom: Info mins
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.
BNP lost the right to do politics, says Information Minister
Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Monday alleged that BNP has lost the right to do politics by writing letters to foreigners to stop aid for the people of Bangladesh.
“BNP has resorted to the path of plots as the party has got isolated from people. Mirza Fakhrul (BNP secretary general) himself wrote letters to stop foreign assistance for Bangladesh,” he said.
Dr Hasan, also a joint general secretary of Awami League, said foreign aid comes to the country for people, not for the government. “The political party that wrote letters to foreigners to stop the assistance for Bangladesh has no right to do politics in this country.”
He came up with the remarks while distributing warm clothes and Covid-preventive materials, on behalf of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, at Awami League’s central office at the city’s Bangabandhu Avenue.
Also read: BNP fears about its political future: Hasan
Awami League’s sub-committee on relief and social welfare arranged the programme.
Referring to media reports, Hasan Mahmud said BNP had a meeting on Sunday presided over by fugitive accused Tarique Rahman. “There’s an order from the High Court that no news can be run on Tarique Rahman. But I saw the report on it in the media. This is a violation of the High Court order.”
He said BNP has become politically so bankrupt that it has made Tarique, a convict, its acting chairman by amending their party charter.
Dr Hasan also said BNP carried out false campaigns against the coronavirus vaccines. “They (BNP leaders) should now aplogise to people for circulating false information about the vaccines.”
"We’ve given booster doses of corona vaccines also to those who criticised us. BNP leaders who have not yet taken the booster doses, we’ll also be provided with the booster doses so that they can stay well and healthy. But you please don't criticise us unnecessarily,” he said.
Dr Hasan said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took the step to enact the law on the formation of the Election Commission to consolidate democracy.
Also read: BNP sold out the War of Liberation sharing power with anti-independence forces: Quader
The minister said BNP is unnecessarily opposing the law as the party has been suffering from ‘no’ syndrome. “This party used to say ‘no’ regarding everything. We fear this party will lose its existence someday due to the impact of the ‘no syndrome’.”
Murad’s recent remarks embarrassed party, govt: Information Minister
Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud has said both the government and Awami League felt embarrassed with the indecent remarks of State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murad Hassan who resigned on Tuesday.
“We’ve noticed some changes in Murad over the past few days and his recent remarks embarrassed both the government and the party. That’s why the Prime Minister has asked him to quit,” he said while talking to reporters at the Bangladesh Secretariat.
Gias Uddin, public relations officer of Murad, submitted his resignation letter to the Cabinet around 3 pm, he said.
Read:BNP now demands Murad’s arrest, punishment
Replying to a question, the minister said Murad is the Health Affairs secretary of Jamalpur district unit Awami League and they will decide whether Murad will remain there in his post or not. Replying to another question, Hasan said, “Murad made his remarks without any consultation with the party and the Prime Minister.”
Earlier in the day, Murad Hassan resigned as State Minister for Information and Broadcasting following the instruction of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for his offensive and indecent remarks on women.
The under-fire junior minister submitted his resignation letter to the Prime Minister on Tuesday showing personal reasons for quitting his job.
Murad Hassan had been under increasing criticism by various quarters for his disrespectful remarks on women in an interview on social media. A number of audios and videos containing indecent remarks by Murad Hassan also went viral on social media during the last few days.
Read: Junior minister Murad Hassan quits at PM’s instruction
A two-year-old phone conversation of the junior minister with actor Mamnun Hasan Emon and actress Mahiya Mahi recently went viral on social media. In that audio clip, Murad made "derogatory comments" on the actress, threatened her and gave her an alleged indecent proposal.
On Monday, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked State Minister for Information Murad Hassan to resign from the cabinet by Tuesday for his recent derogatory remarks on social media.
Demanding his immediate resignation, women and rights bodies and political parties slammed Murad for the indecent remarks he made against women.
Students being used to destabilize country: Information Minister
A vested quarter is trying to destabilize the country using students, said Information Minister Hasan Mahmud on Wednesday. “A vested quarter is trying to make gains taking advantage of the student movement,” he said while talking to reporters at the Bangladesh Secretariat.
Read:Partisan doctors politicising Khaleda’s health, treatment: Info Minister “Those who aren’t students carried out arson attacks on buses after the death of a student in the city’s Rampura area. Is it an accident or a preplanned incident? Everything will be clear after investigation and legal steps will be taken against those involved in the incident,” said Hasan. Terming the death of a student in Rampura unfortunate, the minister said, “The incident occurred around 10:45 pm and it was found live on many Facebook pages, including Nirapad Sarak and Basher Kella. How did they stream live reaching the spot within 11-12 minutes? Were they present at the spot before the incident occurred?” On Monday, Mainuddin Islam Durjoy, an SSC examinee, was run over by a bus around 10.45 pm in the Rampura Bazar area near Better Life Hospital.
Read: BNP fails to appreciate PM’s generosity to Khaleda: Info Minister Mainuddin’s death triggered protests on the streets leading to the torching of eight buses. Students from different educational institutions blocked Rampura Road on Tuesday, protesting the accident. Over the past week, the students also demonstrated in the city demanding a 50 per cent discount on bus fares. Later, Dhaka Road Transport Owners Association announced a 50% discount on bus fares in Dhaka metropolitan area.
Minister slams cable operators for stopping operation of clean feed channels
Information Minister Hasan Mahmud on Sunday slammed the cable operators which have stopped the operation of 24v ad-free foreign channels and said they will be charged with violating rules.
“Twenty-four TV channels, including the BBC, CNN, Al Jajeera and Animal Planet have clean feeds in Bangladesh but the cable operators have stopped the operation of those clean feed channels, and it’s considered as a violation of the condition of the liscense. So, those who’re violating the rules will be charged with,” he said while talking to reporters at the Secretariat.
Besides, the minister said, many cable operators are involved in ‘downlink’ through piracy from foreign satellites, which is illegal.
Talking about the threat of Cable Operators Association of Bangladesh (COAB) to go on a movement after October 4, the minister said, “Talking about such movement is illogical .I hope no one will be involved in any kind of activity that goes against the country’s interests, and the government won’t bow down to any pressure.”
BFUJ, DUJ support information minister's 'clean feed' initiative
Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists and Dhaka Union of Journalists on Saturday welcomed Information Minister Hasan Mahmud's insistence on ad-free (clean-feed) broadcasting of foreign TV channels.
No foreign channel has actually responded yet though by freeing up their broadcast in Bangladesh of advertisements catering to foreign markets.
Instead they all simply remain off air in Bangladesh, after cable and DTH box operators fell in line with a directive from Mahmud's ministry to stop broadcast of foreign channels that do not provide a clean feed in Bangladesh.
In two separate statements on Saturday, BFUJ President Mollah Jalal, Secretary General Abdul Majid and DUJ President Quddus Afrad and General Secretary Sajjad Alam Khan Tapu said the country's economy, artists, culture and media industry have been affected for a long time due to non-broadcasting of ad-free or clean feed on foreign TV channels.
Read: 'Clean feed' may lead to foreign channels' ad slots catering to local market
The country is being deprived of investment worth at least two thousand crore Tk as a result, added the journalist leaders.
The financial crisis in the domestic television industry will be reduced to a great extent because of implementing clean feed, they said,. Their reasoning was not explained.
The statements also said that the decision to not broadcast foreign TV channels did not come from the government but from cable operators.
Thanking the information and broadcasting minister for implementing clean feed, the journalist leaders demanded announcement of a wage board for broadcast journalists.Strong steps should be taken to ensure fair salaries and job security for everyone related with the journalism profession, the statements read.
Policy to regulate OTT platforms in the works: Hasan Mahmud
A policy to extend government control over the OTT platforms (Over The Top platforms, a catch-all for commercial entertainment that reaches viewers through the internet) is being formulated to instill discipline in the sector, information minister Hasan Mahmud said Friday.
“The draft has been completed. If the policy is passed, the platforms will have to follow it and in case of any deviation, action will be taken as per the law.”
The minister said this while inaugurating a program marking the 23rd anniversary of private television broadcaster Channel I at the office of Impress Group in Tejgaon on Friday.
Regarding the operation of mobile courts to implement 'clean feed' or advertisement-free broadcast of foreign satellite channels from Friday, the minister said, "Thousands of crores that could have been invested behind domestic channels were invested in foreign channels in the form of advertisement.”
Read: BTRC shuts 59 unregistered, illegal IPTVs
“If advertisements are not broadcast in foreign satellite channels, this would benefit the home-grown channels and trickle down to the entire economy,” he added.
Meanwhile, Association of Television Channel Owners – ATCO and Broadcast Journalist Center (BJC) welcomed the Information Ministry’s move to implement clean feeds in the country.
However, operators say that it is not possible to cut off just the advertisements from programmes being broadcast on foreign channels
As an apparent protest, cable operators have decided to stop broadcasting foreign channels in Bangladesh on Friday, although this act of seeming rebellion corresponds to exactly what the authorities asked.
Read: BTRC reminds users of least-promoted service: 'Do Not Disturb' for promo texts!
Earlier on Thursday, Hasan Mahmud announced that mobile courts will carry out drives to ensure cable operators broadcast advertisement-free foreign TV channels in Bangladesh.
“We will conduct mobile courts from October 1 across the country. If the serial determined for television on cable lines at the tripartite meeting of the Ministry, the Television Owners’ Association and cable operators is not maintained and advertisements are shown, legal action will be taken against the distributors, operators who have the downlink approval of those channels," he told reporters.
"In countries like India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal, cable operators can't broadcast foreign TV channels without clean feeds," the information minister said. “The operators were already informed in August about the drive. The excuse of foreign channels not sending clean feeds will no longer be tolerated.”
Bangladesh needs no UN help for holding elections: Information Minister
Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Monday said Bangladesh needs no assistance from the United Nations (UN) to arrange elections since the country’s Election Commission (EC) is capable enough to hold fair and transparent polls.
“The Election Commission of Bangladesh is very strong, and I don't think it needs anyone’s help to hold elections,” he said.
The minister came up with the remarks at a programme of Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum (BSRF) as journalists sought his reaction to UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Mia Seppo’s comment on the UN’s assistance for holding elections in Bangladesh.
Stating that the EC has already conducted many elections in Bangladesh in a very fair and transparent manner, Dr Hasan said Bangladesh is not Somalia or Ethiopia that it needs the UN’s help to hold elections here.
He, however, said it is completely a different issue if anyone wants to observe elections in Bangladesh. “But the Election Commission doesn’t need any assistance to conduct elections.”
Also read: UN to provide electoral assistance to Bangladesh if requested: Mia Seppo
On Sunday, Mia Seppo said the UN will provide electoral assistance to Bangladesh only if there is any request on that particular front.
Responding to questions at “DCAB Talk” at the Foreign Service Academy, she also said, “The UN doesn’t provide electoral assistance unless we’re asked to.”
About seeking the bank account details of journalist leaders by Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), the Information Minister said the government can seek bank account details of anybody for any reason. “The bank accounts of MPs, government employees and the leaders of various business organisations are also sought. There’s nothing wrong to ask for bank account details of anybody.”
He said it was not supposed to be published in newspapers that the journalists’ bank account details were sought. “This is a question as to why it was published in the media. Another question that’s being raised by the journalists is why the bank accounts were asked with the name of organisations. I think if someone is transparent, there’s no reason to be worried about it.”
The BFIU of the Bangladesh Bank recently issued letters to the commercial banks asking for details of bank accounts of 11 journalist leaders.
Asked about the government’s move regarding the YouTube-based news channel after closing IPTVs by BTRC, Dr Hasan said his ministry only gives registration to the IPTVs, but they get domain allocation from BTRC. “The question is how they got the domain allocation. I think one has to be very careful from now on before allocating a domain.”
He said there would be a tripartite meeting of Information, Posts and Telecommunications and the ICT ministries on Wednesday to discuss the matter.
Also read: Next election must be under neutral govt: Fakhrul
Later, the minister unveiled the cover of BSRF’s magazine, 'BSRF Barta', at the meeting room of the Information Ministry at the Secretariat.
BSRF president Tapan Biswas and general secretary Masudul Haque were, among others, present at the programme.
No worries about bank account details of journalists: Minister
Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Thursday said journalist leaders have no reason to be worried about their bank account details sought by Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU).
Speaking at the annual general meeting (AGM) of a faction of Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ), the minister also said the government is trying to bring discipline in the mass media by removing various problems.
Dr Hasan said he tried to look into the matter after seeing a report in the newspaper on seeking bank account details of 11 journalist leaders by the BFIU.
"The government can of course seek bank account details of anybody for any reason. But I don't think there's any reason to be worried about it. I know those whose bank account details have been sought. I also know the financial condition of many of them,” he said.
The DUJ’s AGM was held at the Jatiya Press Club with its president Quddus Afrad in the chair.
The BFIU of the Bangladesh Bank issued letters to the commercial banks asking for details of bank accounts of 11 journalist leaders last week.
The ministers said journalists themselves demanded removing chaos in the mass media and he is trying to do it in consultation with media persons. “This process is going on, and discipline has already been restored in many cases.”
Read: JPC condemns BFIU as it seeks bank account details of 11 journalists
He said the government is going to enforce the existing laws in the country so that foreign channels cannot show any advertisement without permission from October next.
Dr Hasan said they are also trying to ensure discipline in the case of IP TV as its registration process will start very soon.
About journalists’ concern about the Digital Security Act, he said this law has been enacted to ensure digital security to all people of the country. “There’re such laws all over the world, including in our neighbouring countries. Even, there’re tougher laws there.”
The minister said journalists or anyone else can get redress under this law if they are subjected to character assassination digitally. “So, the Digital Security Act is needed. At the same time, it should be ensured that this law does not hinder the professional duty of journalists.”
Speaking at the programme, State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury said those who engaged in the great profession of journalism have a deep responsibility and duty towards the country and the nation.
He called upon the journalists to brighten the country’s image in the international arena through depicting the real scenario of the country through objective journalism.