Hasan Mahmud
Hasan Mahmud calls for foreign funding to boost use of solar energy in agriculture
Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud has urged Bangladesh’s development partners, including the World Bank, to finance the country’s drive to increase the use of solar power in agriculture.
Hasan said this at a dialogue on the prospect of solar-powered irrigation to enhance climate resilient agriculture in Bangladesh held at Bangladesh Pavilion in the Scottish city of Glasgow on Monday.
READ: Communal violence: Facebook cannot deny responsibility, says Hasan Mahmud
The use of solar energy has increased in the country because it is climate tolerant, cost-effective, eco-friendly, he said.
“Every year, 1.24 lakh mts diesel is used to run irrigation pumps in the country. This can be saved if solar panels are installed to operate the pumps. Solar energy also helps reduce carbon emissions,” he said.
Besides, a solar panel can operate for up to 20 years uninterruptedly, he said.
The use of solar panels instead of diesel-run irrigation pumps was as important as the process of reducing the damage caused by future climate change.
Therefore, Bangladesh has taken initiative to increase the use of solar panels instead of diesel in irrigation pumps.
Idcol has been working to install solar panels in irrigation and the government has undertaken 789 projects at a cost of 443 million US dollar from the Climate Change Trust Fund with its own funding.
READ: BNP’s 20-party alliance has only 8-10 parties: Hasan Mahmud
He said Bangladesh has been working to mitigate the risks posed by climate change by formulating its own climate change strategic and action plan.
Idcol has installed 1,515 solar irrigation pumps with aid of different organisation, easy loan and technological support, which is so admirable.
He said the achievements of IDCOL in developing renewable energy and energy efficiency have given Bangladesh a global recognition.
Communal violence: Facebook cannot deny responsibility, says Hasan Mahmud
Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud has said Facebook and other social networks cannot deny responsibility in spreading posts that led to the recent communal violence in Bangladesh.
The minister made the remark on Sunday after attending a meeting with the Bangladesh National Journalists Forum at the Secretariat.
“The social media authorities cannot deny that fake posts on Facebook triggered the recent incidents in Bangladesh,” he said.
Read: Hindu community stages protest against communal violence
“We need to think about this as it is a matter of global concern too. We will communicate with different ministries about the matter within this week,” said Hasan Mahmud.
The minister said the incidents in both Cumilla and Pirganj were blown out of proportion due to social media posts, triggering even bigger clashes.
“The one who kept holy Quran in puja mandap, the one who made him do it, those who created a situation of violence without fact checking and the Facebook authority all are equally responsible for this social unrest,” said Hasan Mahmud.
Read: Iqbal, the prime suspect in Bangladesh communal violence, brought to Cumilla
“We don’t want to control social media but in the past as well the same kind of thing happened using social media,” he said.
Clarity in administrating social media is important to prevent misuse, said Hasan Mahmud.
Info Minister blames BNP Jamaat for recent anti-Hindu violence
Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud on Monday said the violence during Durga Puja was aimed at destabilizing the country for political purposes.
“A group in Bangladesh has been involved in communal politics and the Cumilla incident was again circulated in the social networking sites for creating chaos,” he said, replying to a question over attacks on Hindu houses in different parts of the country including Cumilla.
He was talking to reporters after attending a programme in observance of Sheikh Russel Day at the Secretariat.
“BNP-Jamaat is behind all the unrest occurring in the country now," said the minister.
Also read: Communal attacks: BNP forms two committees
"It’s very clear that they are doing it to destabilize the country. However, the government has controlled it with a strong hand,” said Hasan.
“Those who were behind the incidents, have a plan to carry out the incident throughout the country but failed due to government’s intervention,” he said.
Talking about the Rangpur’s Pirganj incident, Hasan said the perpetrators have chosen the place to put the government under doubt.
Also read: BNP’s 20-party alliance has only 8-10 parties: Hasan Mahmud
Referring to the Chandpur incident, Hasan also said “Police opened fire on those who have created a chaotic situation in the district. The government has done everything it can do.”
He also urged all democratic and secular forced to resist the miscreants.
The Awami League leader also urged all including the party men to remain alert.
Info Minister blames BNP-Jamaat for communal incitement
Information and broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud on Saturday blamed Bangladesh Nationalist Party(BNP) for engineering violence over the reported desecration of the holy Quran in Cumilla.
"The statement of Mirza Fakhrul proves that BNP-Jamaat is involved in communal incitement," he said while speaking as the chief guest at the tri-annual conference of Rangunia Upazila Chhatra League in Chattogram.
He said that “BNP-Jamaat has chosen the path of various conspiracies by failing to deal with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina politically. There was a political motive behind the incident in Cumilla which has provoked communal outrage across the country."
Read: Several identified, suspected instigators held over Cumilla incident: Home Minister
"Behind it are fanatical groups including BNP-Jamaat," Hasan added.
The government of the people's leader Sheikh Hasina has suppressed the trouble with a strong hand, the minister said.
Read: Cumilla incident: DIG says offenders to be hunted down
He said that the people vandalising temples and attacking the law enforcers are being identified by CCTV footage.
The minister also noted that the masterminds behind the violence will also be brought to justice.
No compromise over ad-free broadcasting of foreign channels: Hasan Mahmud
The government won’t compromise over its policy of allowing only add-free TV channels to broadcast in the country, Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud said on Thursday.
The law in this regard has not been implemented in 15 years, he mentioned.
Read: 'Clean feed' may lead to foreign channels' ad slots catering to local market
“But this time we have done enough groundwork and will remain firm on our decision to implement clean-feed broadcasting of overseas channels,” the minister said following a meeting with the leaders of Editors’ Forum.
In the meeting, the minister listened to all complaints and demands of the editors and pledged to do his best to solve those.
Read: Showing foreign channels through DTH illegal: Hasan Mahmud
"I am trying to do things on the basis of justice and fairness," he said.
Soon discipline will be ensured in the entire media industry, the minister said.
No foreign TV channel shut in Bangladesh: Info Minister
The government did not shut any foreign TV channel as Bangladesh’s sky is open, said Information Minister Hasan Mahmud on Saturday.
“The agents of foreign channels and operators have stopped broadcast as they failed to air advertisement-free programmes or clean feed. There’s no restriction on broadcasting foreign channels that are giving clean feed,” he said.
The minister said this while talking to reporters at Chattogram Shilpakala Academy after attending a symposium on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s birthday.
Also read: 'Clean feed' may lead to foreign channels' ad slots catering to local market
“Foreign TV channels have been airing progammes in Bangladesh over the years ignoring our law. Every year the country is losing around Tk 2,000 crore worth investment because of the broadcast of foreign channels with advertisements,” he said.
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.”
Mobile courts to ensure ad-free foreign TV channels: Hasan Mahmud
Starting Friday, mobile courts will carry out drives to ensure cable operators broadcast advertisement-free foreign TV channels in Bangladesh.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud made the announcement on Thursday.
Read: No one stays hungry in Bangladesh thanks to Sheikh Hasina, says Info Minister
“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.
Read: Info Minister for strengthening Dhaka-Delhi people-to-people ties
In countries like India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, "the cable operators can't broadcast foreign TV channels without clean feed", the 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,” he added.
BTV will upgrade its Khulna centre to a full-fledged station: Minister
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.
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.