Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said BNP is not only a hypocrite party, but also a fraud political party as it has been proved through faking signature of the US congressmen, lying over Indian minister Amit Shah’s phone call and distorting statements of German ambassador.
“It has never been happened to express outrage by the German ambassador in the country over a statement of a political party. Expressing anger by the German ambassador has proved that BNP’s most statements were fictitious made quoting foreigners,” he told reporters at the meeting room of his ministry at Secretariat here.
The minister said BNP has published a statement before the mass media few years back making fake signature of six congressmen. For this, the then US congress foreign affairs chairman Ed Royce and member Angel gave statements where they claimed that such forgery is not acceptable, he added.
Dr. Hasan said once Begum Khaleda Zia’s press secretary Maruf Kamal told the reporters that Amit Shah called the BNP leader (Begum Zia). But later, the office of the Indian minister (Amit Shah) said that he didn’t make any call to her, he added.
“All the incidents proved that BNP is a fraud political party,” said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.
Replying to a query over a statement of Newspaper Owners’ Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) on Mass Media Employees Bill, the minister said the NOAB has claimed that there is no need of the act. Even, they are saying that there is no need such act as there are Press Council and DFP, he added.
In fact, he said, the Press Council and the DFP are not working for the job security of mass media employees including newspapers, televisions, radios and online news portals. There is no law for the security of the journalists of TV, radio and online news portals, he added.
He said it would not be possible to terminate journalists in any time, if the bill is passed and salaries, allowances and gratuities must be paid as per the rules. Journalists will be able to take legal actions if they are terminated, he added.
The minister said a group of mass media owners’ don’t want such act which will provide security to journalists and the statement of NOAB has expressed it.
Dr. Hasan said the demand of making the act came from journalists. “For this, an initiative was taken to make the Mass Media Employees Act (services conditions). And we are agree to amend and refinement the bill, which is now at the parliamentary standing committee, to protect the interests of journalists fully. But, different groups are giving statements against these. Of them, some are giving statements as they don’t want the law,” he added.
He said those statements are destroying the friendly atmosphere. “The union organizations informed me that they will give us a written proposal which are needed to amend and refinement. After that, we will discuss with the owners. Later, the parliamentary committee will consider it and they also can take legal advice if they change too much,” said Hasan.
