Information Minister and Awami League Joint General Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud on Saturday warned that any insult to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman humiliation will not be tolerated.
Vested quarters are creating controversy as Mujib Year nears to end. Instability is being created by drawing attention on different issues with ill motives, he said.
The Minister made the remarks at a programme to distribute books on Bangabandhu's life and work organized by Bangladesh Press Council at the Bangabandhu Hall of Chittagong Press Club.
Dr Hasan Bangabandhu was a leader who inspired the Bengalis to sacrifice for the nation. Very few leaders have been able to do so.
Bangabandhu is the greatest Bengali of all time and one of the best leaders in the world history, he added.
The Minister said journalists show people the right direction. Under the leadership of Bangabandhu, journalists played role in independence movement and their writings helped shape people's mindset toward independence.
Today, it is time to speak out against those who want to take the society back to the Middle Ages and establish a medieval society as well as the people who are patronising them, he added.
Dr Hasan said Bangabandhu formed the Bangladesh Press Council. Process is on to amend to the Press Council Act to make the government body more powerful and welfare oriented.
The draft amendment bill may be placed at the next parliament session. Provision has been incorporated to allow an aggrieved person or media to lodge a complaint with the Press Council.
If the amendment bill is passed, the Press Council will be able to do more welfare work, he added.
The Minister said there is no substitute for reading books to get to know the world as well as develop talent. The elderly are accustomed to reading books while the young generations are not and spend all the time on social media.
Lot of information is available on social media but it does equal to books. Young people must be encouraged to read books to prepare for the struggle in their lives, he added.
Presided over Press Council Chairman Justice Mamtaz Uddin Ahmed, Press Council Member Abdul Majid, Daily Azadi Editor MA Malek, Press Club Acting President Salauddin Mohammad Reza, General Secretary Chowdhury Farid, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists Vice President Riaz Haider Chowdhury spoke on the occasion.
Speakers at the programme revealed that a Bangabandhu Corner will be set up at the Chattogram Press Club at the initiative of the Press Council.
The Press Council provided 85 books on Bangabandhu, Liberation War and Journalism to the Press Club.
Minister Hasan handed over the books to the Press Club president and general secretary at the programme.