Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud on Monday said that declaring to oppose the election is tantamount to spoiling the election environment. “Someone can boycott the election but no one has the right to oppose it. If someone declares to oppose the election it is tantamount to spoiling the election environment,” he said while talking to reporters after a meeting with the newly elected Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum (BSRF) committee at the Secretariat. Referring to the remark of Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir alleging that the government is trying to repress the opposition party by controlling the internet, Hasan said “When BNP was in power, there were 50 lakh internet users in the country but now 13 crore people are using the internet as the current government made it universal.” Political crime surges in the country: Info Minister Replying to a question about the election decision of BNP, the minister said “We want BNP to join the election with its full power. At one point they are saying that they will not participate in the election, on the other hand they said they are being refrained from the election. We want the BNP in the election and participate in the election as per the constitution.” Foreign envoys' statement over attack on election candidate is clear violation of Vienna Convention: Information Minister “It is clear in the statement of the BNP secretary general that they want to participate in the election but they can’t do it due to an invisible power,” he said. He also made a request to BNP to take the party to the people of the country after freeing it from invisible grip. BNP’s demand for dissolving Parliament is threat to democracy: Info Minister

Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud on Monday ruled out possibility of holding any dialogue with the BNP on its demand to hold the upcoming national election under a neutral caretaker government. “There is no question of holding any dialogue with them (BNP) on this issue,” he told reporters after unveiling a book titled ‘Bangladesh at a glance” at the Secretariat. “We believe that the BNP wants to create chaos and destabilise the country. As BNP’s only aim of the movement is to establish a caretaker government there is no need to hold any dialogue with them,” he said. There is no constitutional obligation to form an election-time government, he said adding that the incumbent government will oversee the polls. AL has no connection with Jamaat: Info Minister The prime minister will take decision whether the size of the election-time government will be small or not, he added. Regarding BNP senior leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi’s allegation that law enforcers are being used to serve the interests of the ruling party, Hasan, also the Awami League joint general secretary, said “The law enforcers are doing a good job and that’s why they managed to curb militancy. The law and order situation of the country is also good. Besides, they also have taken steps against the arson attackers.” Opposition to BRICS proves BNP is against development of the country: Info MinisterHe also rejected Rizvi’s claim that that the law enforcers are being used to secure ruling party’s interests.Replying to a question about the Reza-Nur issue, the minister said Reza Kibria, former convener of Gono Odhikar Parishad and its member secretary Nurul Haque Nur have given birth to some jokes in politics. “They don't have a public support, and they're just busy on television and mudslinging among themselves. They have nothing to do with the people. These are the reasons why their party is broken,” he added. BNP will come to polls with preparations this time: Information Minister Asked about Reza Kibria's statement that Nur's has been offered money to be any ally of Awami League to come to the election, Hasan Mahmud said, "Reza Kibria has said many things and Nur has also said many things about Reza Kibria Such allegations against Nur have been made by many people on various occasions. Nur has no contact with our party,” said the minister.  

Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud on Wednesday termed the US human rights report on Bangladesh as one-sided since its information came from the biased sources. “They collected this information not only from one source, but from several anti-government and biased sources. Therefore, this report is one-sided”, said the minister. The minister made these remarks while exchanging views with reporters after a meeting with Bangladesh Federal Union of Newspaper Press Workers and Bangladesh Newspaper Employees Federation at the conference room of the secretariat. “However, we are not renouncing the entire report as it contains many good points as well. But all the issues mentioned in the report about our human rights, election, and democracy are one-sided”, Hasan said. He said Bangladesh never faced any incident like Capitol riot by supporters of former US President Donald Trump. The minister said that before raising questions about election, they should pay heed to their own election system. “There are still many questions about their election.” Read more: PM: During BNP’s regime, human rights were violated at every step Responding to a question on US allegations about extra-judicial killings in Bangladesh, the minister said, “In a country where on average one thousand people are killed by the police every year, how much moral right do the country have to raise questions about other countries?” Information and Broadcasting Ministry joint secretary Md. Kawsar Ahmed, Bangladesh Newspaper Employees Federation president Md. Bazlur Rahman, Secretary General Md. Khairul Islam and many others also participated in the meeting.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud said on Wednesday that handcuffs and leg irons should have been removed when a prisoned BNP leader attended his mother’s funeral on parole in Gazipur on Tuesday. The minister made the comment while talking to journalists at the conference room of the ministry at the Secretariat. “I’ve talked with the police about the matter. They said that the matter of locking or unlocking handcuffs is the responsibility of the district administration and the Inspector General of Prison. Police have maintained caution because some militants had escaped from their custody a few days ago. Still, I think the handcuffs of the BNP leader should have been removed during the funeral,” said Hasan. BNP leader Ali Azam’s mother died due to old age complications on Sunday. To attend her funeral, Azam had requested the Gazipur district administration for his freedom on parole on Monday. But the administration failed to do so as the formalities could not be completed on that day. Also read: BNP MPs resigned to impede democracy: Hasan Mahmud On Tuesday, the district administration granted Azam a three-hour parole to attend his mother’s funeral. Azam was taken home in Boali union of Gazipur’s Kaliakair upazila and was brought back to the prison after the funeral. The incident triggered criticism in media.    

Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud on Wednesday advised the opposition BNP to work for winning people’s support to come to power instead of lobbying with the foreigners. He said this when journalists sought his comments on the opposition party’s recent meeting with the UN Resident Coordinator and European Union Ambassador. Talking to journalists at Bangladesh Secretariat the minister further said that foreigners must not interfere in the country’s internal matters. Hasan said BNP continues to insult the country by frequently going to the foreigners to raise the country’s domestic issues. Read: BNP's statements outlandish, insane: Hasan Mahmud He said the people of Bangladesh do not like a political party to seek help from outsiders. “The people will cast their ballots, not foreigners,” he said pointing to BNP. Earlier, Hasan unveiled the cover of a book titled "Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100". Information secretary Mokbul Hossain was also present at the event.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud on Friday said the election will be held under the Election Commission during the present government in line with the Constitution like all other democratic countries across the world. “BNP will gain no benefit in dreaming for the restoration of caretaker government,” he said, replying to a question from journalists. Also read: AL wants election with participation of all parties: Hasan Mahmud The minister was talking to reporters before joining the 11th biennial conference of the Entomological Society at the Agricultural Research Council’s auditorium in the city’s Khamarbari area. “If BNP makes ill-attempts to create chaos in the name of movement, it (anarchy) will be resisted taking the people with us,” he said. About BNP's demand for caretaker government, Hasan said no government resigns before the election in all the democratic countries like India, Japan, Australia, Europe and even the USA. He said BNP tried to thwart the 2014 election, but failed. In 2018, it also raised the same demand, but finally participated in the general election forging an alliance of many parties and secured only five seats (in Parliament). “So, I would like to tell them to take preparation for the next election without making useless rhetoric,” said Hasan, also a joint general secretary of Bangladesh Awami League. Asked about BNP’s possible movement to overthrow the government, he said, “We’ve been hearing about the movement for the fall of the government for the last 13 years.” Also read: Election will be held on time: Quader “If they try to create chaos, carry out arson violence or burn people in the name of the movement as they did before, it will be resisted taking the people with us,” he said. In the conference, the minister stressed the need for saving the agricultural lands in the country. The arable lands should not be lost due to unplanned urbanization and construction of structures everywhere in unplanned ways. He said Bangladesh has multiplied its crop production due to agricultural research. “This trend must continue on the path of development,” he added. Chairman of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council Dr Shaikh Mohammad Bokhtiar and Director General of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) Dr Debashish Sarkar, among others, spoke at the conference. President of Entomological Society Dr Syed Nurul Alam presided over the function moderated by its general secretary Dr Md Mizanur Rahman, said a PID handout.

The Reporters Sans Frontieres' (RSF) report on Bangladesh's declining position on the World Press Freedom Index is malicious, offensive and unacceptable, said Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud on Thursday. The minister made this remark while exchanging Eid greetings with reporters at his residence in Chattogram. “The Paris-based RSF has always been hostile towards Bangladesh,” he said, adding that RSF also reports untruths and fabrications about the media in Bangladesh. “They published a report last year with very offensive remarks about Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina," he said. Also read: B'desh slips 10 notches in RSF press freedom index In the wake of this, as the larger journalist unions of Bangladesh protested, similarly, some Bangladeshi expatriates in Paris had issued legal notices against the RSF through their French lawyers, said the minister. The legal notice states that they cannot make such comments about the head of state or government of any country, as stated in French law, which means they have done so violating the French law, Hasan added. He also said RSF collects data from the sources who constantly carry out propaganda against Bangladesh abroad and prepares reports which are of no value. Last year, various journalists' organisations, including the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), protested against the report and made statements, he added. “When the same organisation talks about the media in Bangladesh again, it is natural to assume that they are continuously publishing reports against Bangladesh with malicious intent,” he said. Mentioning that RSF has also talked about the Digital Security A9ct, Hasan said that when there was no digital issue, there was no issue of providing digital security. “When it comes to digital in different countries including Bangladesh, different countries have enacted laws to provide digital security to the masses.” This law has been and is being formed in almost all the countries of the world. Digital security laws have been enacted in Singapore, India, Pakistan, USA, Australia and also in Bangladesh, he said. “This law is meant to provide digital security to all people. Many journalists have taken advantage of the law to sue for defamation,” said the minister. “The law should not be abused against anyone, be it a journalist or common people," he said. He also said, “There is a lot of discussion in Bangladesh about the provisions of the Digital Security Act, some criticize, but the laws that have been enacted in other countries, including India and Pakistan, have similar provisions.” Besides, the European Union is working on a framework law, under which steps will be taken in different countries, law will be enacted," he said. France has similar laws, he added. “So, since the RSF is already hostile towards Bangladesh, they have taken Bangladesh down a few steps. We reject it outright.”

Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud on Friday said BNP is involved in conspiracies as it is worried about its political future. "The people of the country are pleased with the success of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. So, BNP-Jamaat are worried and panicked about their political future. That is why they have chosen the path of conspiracy. They are spending money and spreading propaganda against the country," he said. Read: Govt has evidences on BNP’s hiring lobbyists abroad: Info Minister The minister said this while exchanging views with Awami League Sylhet district and city units' leaders at Sylhet Circuit House, said a PID handout here. He said the world community praises Sheikh Hasina for her success, but BNP-Jamaat are rather scared.  Hasan, also AL joint general secretary, said  the BNP secretary general wrote a letter with his own signature to US lawmakers and different departments to  stop US assistance to Bangladesh. He questioned how the secretary general of a political party can write a letter asking to re-evaluate the aid issue with an objective to stop the assistance to the country (Bangladesh). "They (BNP) are conspirators against the country, and anti-state elements," he added. About the EC formation bill passed by Parliament on Thursday, he said the government has made the system, which is followed worldwide in formation of the Election Commission, more transparent. There is no provision of search committee in other countries, but the provision is here in the law, he said citing examples of different countries including Nepal, Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand. Read:BNP fails to appreciate PM’s generosity to Khaleda: Info Minister The minister said the President will pick 5 persons among 10 ones recommended by the search committee to appoint the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners. AL Sylhet city unit president Masuk Uddin Ahmed, it's general secretary Zakir Hossain, AL Sylhet district acting president Shafiqur Rahman and general secretary Nasir Uddin khan spoke on the occasion.

Bangladesh Television will upgrade its centre in Khulna to a full-fledged station before the next national election, Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud said on Friday. He also announced that the state-run BTV will open centres in the country’s all divisions. This will lead to the development of culture, art, literature and discovery of new talents besides creating jobs. Hasan said this while distributing financial assistance among 75 journalists from Bangladesh Journalist Welfare Trust, established by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The journalists each received a cheque of Tk. 10,000 at the programme held at the district administration's conference room. Read: BTV transmission begins in India Describing Hasina as a media-friendly PM, the minister said that financial assistance is being given to all journalists irrespective of their ideologies from the welfare trust, first of its kind in the world. He said an amount of Tk 3,500 crore has so far been distributed among 3,000 journalists from this welfare trust, where the prime minister earlier donated Tk. 10 crore from her own fund.