Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Wednesday said the politics of conspiracy would not be successful in Bangladesh from now on and election is the only way for changeover of the government. “BNP and some other parties have chosen the path of conspiracies after being failed to face Awami League, its President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina politically,” he said.
The minister came up with the observation at a press conference to inform the achievement of the ministry in last one year and its future plans at the meeting room of his ministry at secretariat here. Replying to a query on a comment of BNP leader Selima Rahman, Hasan said, “The countrymen and we have been listening such warn for toppling the government for the last 11 years. But, election is the only way for changeover of the government.”
He said if the people of the country don’t have support on Awami League (AL), the party will leave power. “Though they (BNP) believe in intrigues to depose the government as they did also in the past. But, my belief is that no conspiracies would be successful from now,” he added.
Replying to another query, the minister said every opposition parties are practicing their constitutional rights and expressing their opinions in the parliament and other places in the country. “We are living in a democratic society and we belief in multi-party democracy. The country is also running with this theme,” said Hasan, also joint general secretary of AL.
In his speech, the minister said Bangladesh Television (BTV), the state-owned TV channel, started airing its programmes in India from September 2 by using Bangabandhu 1, the country’s first communication satellite through DTH (Direct-To-Home) platform of Doordarshan, the state-owned TV channel of India.
He hoped that like BTV, Bangladesh Betar will also start to air its programme in India from this month. The minister said the government will work with the broadcast journalists and workers to ensure legal protection of their jobs and other facilities. “The legal protection will be ensured if the Mass Media Employees (Services & Conditions) Act is passed,” he added.
The minister said, “I’m working relentlessly for the betterment of the journalists after taking charge of the ministry. Discipline has been established in the electronic media sector following different steps.”
He said airing Bangladeshi advertisements in foreign channels has been stopped. “Besides, the cable operators are maintaining the serial of the Bangladeshi TV channels as per their on air date. After keeping Bangladeshi channels, the cable operators are keeping the foreign channels on the list,” he added.
The minister said some television channels are airing foreign TV serials dubbed in Bangla which is not acceptable. “So, the ministry has issued an order for TV channels to take the government’s approval to broadcast the dubbed serials,” he added. He said the two-month deadline has expired for removal of Direct to Home (DTH) devices installed illegally at households yesterday. “From now on, the operators and the users would be exposed to stern punitive actions,” he added.
Hasan said, “DTH uses are totally illegal as the government didn’t give any approval to use it.” “We have already taken initiatives for the betterment of mass media . . . these initiatives put media in order mostly,” he said. Besides, the minister said the government is constructing modern information complexes along with hall in 64 districts. Newly appointed Information Secretary Kamrun Nahar and Principal Information Officer Surath Kumar Sarkar were present on the occasion.
