Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud met with 13 journalists from Asia, Europe, and Africa at his office in the capital Monday. The minister informed them about the overall development of the country, including the mass media. He also replied to their questions. Journalists from Algeria, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Vietnam are now in Bangladesh at the invitation of the foreign ministry. They already visited the top tourist spots in Bangladesh and the Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar. Read more: 10 journalists win UNICEF award for outstanding reporting on children’s rights in Bangladesh  

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Wednesday warned that the government will take stern action if the prices of essential goods or transport fares are raised unnecessarily on the plea of hike in fuel prices. Taking the recent fuel price-hike as an advantage, some unscrupulous businessmen have increased the price of goods and also the transport cost to enhance their profits, he said while exchanging views with journalists at the Bangladesh Secretariat here. Read: AL won't let BNP set the stage for another August 15: Hasan “It (irrational price hike) is in no way acceptable. Our government is monitoring these and I hope business organizations and leaders will play a role in this regard. If needed, the government will take strict action against them,” said Dr Hasan, also a joint general secretary of Awami League. Replying to a question about the Hartal (strike) called by the left-leaning alliance to protest the price-hike of daily commodities, the minister said there is high inflation throughout the world. He said the inflation is 8.5 per cent in the USA, 9.4 per cent in the UK, 25 per cent in Pakistan and over 9 percent in Australia.  But the inflation is 7.5 per cent in Bangladesh and was below 7 per cent till May last, which is lower than many countries, he added. The AL joint general secretary said the left-leaning alliance is a pro-liberation force and this is why he respects them, said a PID handout. The Information Minister requested them so that anti-liberation forces including BNP, anti-state force and militant groups would not be benefited with their activities.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud said the level of relationship between Bangladesh and India is incomparable to that of any other country and relation with any another country won’t affect it. The minister said this while talking to reporters at the ministry on Monday. Bangladesh inked several cooperation documents with China during the visit of the Chinese Foreign Minister on Sunday. Also read: Fuel prices lower than neighbouring countries even after hike: Hasan Mahmud When asked whether the visit will affect ties with India he said, “Our relationship with India is written in blood. India and its people’s assistance during our Liberation War will remain as long as Bangladesh exists.” He said China is a friendly country to Bangladesh and is country’s development partner. “They (China) have assistance in our development projects and their officials work in our country. We follow our foreign policy of ‘Friendship towards all, malice towards none’ and as a friendly nation China can make any proposal they want,” he added. Regarding BNP’s reaction on fuel price hike Hasan Mahmud urged the party to look at global situation and abstain from the politics of misleading people. Also read: Hasan Mahmud to BNP: Don't play with people's lives “Last year the government provided subsidy of Tk 53,000 crore in energy and power sector. It is not possible for Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) to provide Tk 100 crore daily subsidy anymore and it is impossible for any other country,” he said. “It takes a month or two to see the result after prices of fuel decline in global market. After that we will readjust the prices in our country,” said Hasan Mahmud.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud said BNP is afraid of EVM as the party wants to sustain the bad culture of vote-rigging and capture the voting centres at night. He made the remarks after inaugurating the Islami Banking wing of Bangladesh Commerce Bank at a city hotel on Wednesday. Bangladesh Commerce Bank Limited’s Chairman Rashid Ahmed presided over the programme while its Managing Director and CEO Tajul Islam, among others, spoke. Hasan said that none can capture state power with muscle power. Those who do politics for the people never think to go to power by force.  It was BNP’s founder Ziaur Rahman who had captured the state power by force, he said. Also Read: Abandon those who want to make Bangladesh a communal country: Hasan Mahmud In contrast, he said, the Awami League has come to power with the mandate of the people.  “We won in the last three national elections and formed the government,” he added. He said elections are being held across the globe through EVM including India, the United States, Germany, France, Australia even Malaysia.  If another party other than Awami League had proposed EVM, “I think BNP would have liked it.” 

Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud said it is becoming clearer that sabotage was behind the recent fire incidents including at BM Container Depot and a moving train. The minister said this while replying to journalists at the secretariat on Monday. Hasan Mahmud said he was saying from the beginning that investigation is needed to identify whether there was any sabotage behind the container depot fire. After that fire broke out inside a moving train in Sylhet from the toilet and another train caught fire in Khulna. Also read: Online news portals cannot legally broadcast talk shows, bulletins: Hasan Mahmud “The sabotage conspiracy has become clearer gradually. Actually these incidents are being planned to fade the celebratory atmosphere prevailing across the country by spreading panic,” said Hasan Mahmud. “The matter is under investigation and it will become clearer after getting a report. I personally believe there was sabotage behind it.” Earlier, Association of Television Channel Owners (ATCO) leaders handed a a memorandum with six demands: to stop online video broadcasting of newspapers, stop broadcasting news on IP TV, full implementation of clean feed, launch of TRP service, digitization of cable network and imposing special tax on companies producing advertisements with foreign models. Also read: Journo Fazle Elahi to get justice: Hasan Mahmud The minister said, “The online versions of newspapers were registered on condition that they will only upload the contents of the newspaper. Online versions of newspapers and news portals don’t have legal approval to broadcast talk shows or bulletins.” ATCO’s other written demands will be tested by the ministry, he added.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud has said online versions of newspapers or news portals are not legally allowed to broadcast talk shows and bulletins. The minister highlighted the gazette guideline in this regard on Sunday to journalists during a meeting at the ministry. “Recently Association of Television Channel Owners (ATCO) leaders brought the matter to our attention that online versions of some newspapers and online portals are publishing talk shows and news bulletins for which they don’t have any approval," he said replying to the questions of journalists. Also read: Journo Fazle Elahi to get justice: Hasan Mahmud “We have skimmed through the laws in this regard and found that they cannot publish any such contents according to the subsection 2,4, and 6 of section two of National Online Mass Media Policy 2017,” said Hasan Mahmud. "In the digital age, providing relevant video clips with news is not a violation of the rules, but the policy does not approve of broadcasting talk shows or news bulletins at all," he said. "The online versions of the newspaper were registered without any investigation on the condition that the news published in the newspaper would be published online, which should not be different," he said. Also read: Hasan trashes RSF report on press freedom as malicious & unacceptable If ATCO gives a written objection in this regard, we will inform the concerned authorities by mentioning the sections and subsections of the law, said the minister.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud on Wednesday came down heavily on the organisations like Amnesty International, RSF and TIB for what he said their biased reporting on human rights, press freedom and corruption in Bangladesh. “These organisations have lost their credibility because of their partiality against Bangladesh,” Hasan told the members of Overseas Correspondents Association  Bangladesh (OCAB) in reply to a question. He said that the Bangladesh branch of Transparency International (TI) issues statements like a political party instead of any research on an issue. Also read:Hasan trashes RSF report on press freedom as malicious & unacceptable In support of his criticism the minister cited a couple of recent examples such as TIB’s statement against the railway minister on the ticketless travel by three of his relatives and allegation of corruption in the treatment of Covid-19 patients in Bangladesh. Hasan said TIB’s allegation of plundering about Tk 23,000 crore on Covid vaccines was baseless and a misreporting of what the health minister said. Turning to the Amnesty International (AI) the minister said  it was silent when BNP launched the petrol bomb campaign against the government in the name of agitation. It, however, was vocal against the trial of the war criminals in Bangladesh.  “This is how Amnesty International has lost its credibility here,” he observed. The minister once again rejected the latest press freedom index published by Paris-based RSF (Reporters Without Border) in which Bangladesh slipped 10 notches to 162 among the 180 countries of the world where the survey was done. How one can trust an organization which places Bangladesh behind even Afghanistan, not at all known for press freedom and security of journalists, he asked. Responding to another question Hasan said Bangladesh Press Council and Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) have been asked to prepare a data base of journalists in the country. This, he said, is aimed at identifying the genuine journalists so they get security in carrying out their work and keeping the job. When done the proposed data base will also leave out those who are not journalists at all. Hasan reiterated that the Digital Security Act (DSA) has been made for the overall security of the people from digital harassment and assaults on their dignity and privacy. “This is absolutely not against journalists,” he reaffirmed though admitting abuses in some cases. He said there have been some abuses of the law against journalists and the government acted to stop it. Also read: Info minister considers legal action against TIB for lies No case under the DSA can be filed now without permission from the police and no journalist can either be arrested in sweeping action, he said. “The interests of journalists are being protected,” he said. In his opening remarks Hasan highlighted the achievements of his ministry in safeguarding the interests of journalists and creation of an environment congenial to their work. He especially referred to the formation of Sangbadik Kallyan Trust by the order of the prime minister and distribution of about Tk 23 crore among media people since its start in 2014.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud has called for creating greater awareness and documentation on the role of the Mujibnagar Government during our glorious War of Liberation, amongst the new generation of Bangladeshi expatriates. He made the call while speaking as the chief guest at the Bangladesh High Commission, London’s commemorative event on the 51st Anniversary of historic Mujibnagar Day. Also read: Press Council sets roadmap for creating journalists' database: Info Minister To ensure that history is not distorted to the younger generations, especially on the undisputed leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman during the protracted freedom struggle and the independence of Bangladesh, as well as the historical role played by the four national leaders, and the Mujibnagar government in liberating Bangladesh, the Information Minister said that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will produce documentaries in English on our liberation war based on national and international empirical evidences. He suggested publishing booklets in English by the London High Commission on the War of Liberation, including the significance of the historic Mujibnagar Day for distribution to the new generation of British-Bangladeshis, said the Bangladesh High Commission in London on Wednesday.  “To honour the sacrifices made by the heroes of our liberation war and realise the Golden Bengal vision of Bangabandhu, his daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is making relentless stride to transform Bangladesh into a prosperous, self-reliant and self-respecting nation,” the minister said. Speaking on the occasion as the guest of honour, valiant freedom fighter and a veteran of the Mujibnagar Government Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, Bir Bikrom, reminded the nation that the Mujibnagar Government was neither a temporary nor an interim government, but the first constitutional government of the independent and sovereign People’s Republic of Bangladesh as declared in the ‘Proclamation of Independence’ adopted on 10 April 1971. Dr Chowdhury, also the Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister, encouraged the young generation to better study the ‘Proclamation of Independence' of Bangladesh, which was the mini-constitution and the guide for conducting the 1971 liberation war and the wartime government. High Commissioner for Bangladesh to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem paid deep homage to Bangabandhu and the four national leaders who sworn in the first government of independent Bangladesh on behalf of Bangabandhu, making him the president, naming the place after the Father of the Nation as Mujibnagar, campaigning internationally for the release of Bangabandhu from imprisonment and skillfully conducting the War of Liberation to ultimate victory. She also paid propound gratitude to valiant freedom fighters, martyrs and victims of the 1971 War of Liberation and the foreign governments who supported the Mujibnagar Government and visited Bengali refugee camps in India during the War of Liberation, including former Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi and leading British politicians such as Michael Barnes, MP, Bruce Douglas-Mann, MP, Toby Jessel, MP, Arthur Bottomley, MP, Reginal Prentice, MP, James Ramsden, MP and Peter Shore, MP. Also read:Info minister inaugurates Bangabandhu Corner, Bangladeshi fashion house in Guwahati The High Commissioner on behalf of London High Commission reaffirmed her oath on the historic Mujibnagar Day as a public servant of the republic created on 10 April 1971 in supporting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s vision and aspiration for a democratic, progressive, secular and prosperous Bangladesh. Valiant freedom fighter Lt. Col. (Retd) Kazi Sajjad Ali Zaheer, Bir Pratik and Padama Sri, eminent cultural and theater personality Ramendu Majumder, veteran freedom fighter and war correspondent of ‘Joy Bangla’ weekly and the ‘Swadhin Bangla Beter Kendra’ Haroon Habib former Professor of Law at the University of Dhaka Dr Salim Mahmud also spoke. Member of the Student Action Committee of the Overseas Freedom Movement of Bangladesh War of Liberation in the UK and overseas Freedom Fighter Sultan Mahmud Sharif and expatriate British-Bangladeshi community personality Syed Sajidur Rahman Faruk also spoke on the occasion. A short documentary on the oath-taking of the Mujibnagar Government was shown at the virtual event, participated by a large number of expatriate Bangladeshis living in the UK and Ireland.

The human rights situation in Bangladesh is better than the United States in many instances, said Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud on Thursday dismissing the report of the US on human rights issues in Bangladesh. "We do not agree with the US human rights report," the minister told the reporters after attending a discussion 'Mahe Ramadan and Mass Media' and Iftar Mahfil organised by Bangladesh Sampadak Forum in the city. Also read: Home Minister dismisses US HR report as misinformation The data in this report might have been collected from certain sources. And the sources are one-sided and provide a lot of misinformation, he added. “In fact, in many cases, the human rights situation in Bangladesh is better than in the United States, though not in all cases." "There are no prisons in our country like the way people are tortured at Guantanamo Bay of the US," said the minister. The unarmed black man George Floyd had been pinned down and killed by a police officer in the US, he added. Hasan Mahmud further said four persons were killed even in the US parliament which never happened in Bangladesh. "The judicial department is working very independently in Bangladesh," he said, adding that they are examining the report. The minister also said the relation between Bangladesh and the US is very close. Besides, the security force mentioned in the report (RAB) has also taken technical assistance from the US. Also read:Dhaka trashes US HR report as “lie, wrong and misinformation” "I think there is an opportunity to correct any shortcomings in the future if we have any help with this technical assistance and other issues," he added. Meanwhile, the World Bank hinted at higher growth of Bangladesh economy this year in a recent report, he said. "Those who criticize our country all the time, I hope they will stop criticizing after this report," he said, referring to the World Bank's report as the country's economy has turned around after the pandemic.

The decision to bring the cable TV network under the digital system will be enforced from April 1 in Dhaka and Chattogram, said Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud on Tuesday. Customers in the two cities will have to get TV set top boxes from April 1 to watch satellite television channels, he told reporters after a meeting with cable TV operators at the ministry.   Read: Minister slams cable operators for stopping operation of clean feed channels “We had a discussion in detail to implement our initiative to bring cable TV network under digital system and you (journalists) know that a case was also filed in this regard,” he said. He said the government has taken the initiative to provide better service to customers and ensure that the government is not deprived of VAT and tax from this sector.  “Today we’ve set a timeframe and we have fixed April 1 to ensure installation of set top boxes in Dhaka and Chattogram. We will work together to provide set top boxes within the time,” he said. “Those who will fail to install set top boxes during this period will be deprived from watching some satellite channels,” he added. The decision will be enforced in all metropolitan cities and divisional cities by May 30, he said adding  already several lakh set top boxes have been procured and it will be implemented  in phases. The meeting also decided to formulate a guideline for the cable operating system and it is needed, he said adding, “We have reached a decision to form a guideline through a committee involving stakeholders.” Mobile courts started operating from October 1 under the direction of the ministry of information and broadcasting to implement ad-free or clean feed broadcasting of foreign channels in accordance with Cable Network Operation Act 2006. Cable Operators Association of Bangladesh (COAB) members stopped broadcasting foreign satellite channels without 'clean feeds', i.e. their advertisement slots filled by show sponsors and other commercial entities cater to a foreign market, on October 19 in line with a government directive. Legally, a 'clean feed' means the broadcast runs without any advertisements from show sponsors or other commercial entities. Read:IPTVs, YouTube channels shouldn’t air news: Info Minister The clean feed policy calls for foreign channels to streamline content according to region, i.e. not air commercials meant for one region in another region. For example, if an Indian channel is to be aired in Bangladesh, commercials produced for the Indian market cannot be aired here. The solution the information ministry would like to force upon these channels is to have a separate broadcast feed for Bangladesh, in which the advertising slots would be filled by commercials aimed at the Bangladeshi market. The channels would have to make this call based on how much revenue they expect to raise from Bangladeshi advertisers.