Information and Broadcasting Minister
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.
Thank govt for suspending Khaleda’s sentence, Hasan tells BNP
BNP should remain thankful to the government for yet another six-month suspension of Khaleda Zia’s jail sentence under an official order, Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud said on Monday.
“If that order is revoked tomorrow, Khaleda Zia will have to return to jail immediately. I think the BNP needs to keep this in mind as well,” said the minister.
Hasan, joint general secretary of the Awami League, said this while replying to questions from journalists after launching the BSRF Barta, a publication of Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum at the ministry’s conference room.
Also read: Khaleda’s conditional release extended by another six months
Asked about BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s comment that the government is afraid of freeing Khaleda the minister said, BNP should rather thank the government for suspension of her sentence for another six months.
Elaborating Hasan said BNP chairperson was not released on bail or freed by any order of the court. “Khaleda Zia is out of prison because the prime minister suspended her sentence by exercising power given by the law,” he said.
Hasan also brushed aside another BNP leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain’s recent call to the people to take to the streets demanding that the next national election is held under a neutral caretaker government.
He said the next election will be held according to the constitution which does not provide for any caretaker government.
Also read: Govt restricting Khaleda from going abroad out of ‘fear’: Fakhrul
He said elections are held under the Election Commission. When the election schedule will be announced, all the polls-related government officials and employees will work under the Election Commission, he said.
The election-time government, Hasan said, cannot transfer a single police constable after announcement of the polls schedule. The Election Commission has already conducted many elections very successfully, he added.
He said BNP’s demand for a caretaker government has no constitutional basis and so it will fail to get any response from the people like it happened in the past 12 and a half years.
President of Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum Tapan Biswas and General Secretary Masudul Haque and other leaders of the forum were present at function.
Jaishankar, Shringla hold separate meetings with Hasan Mahmud
Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar met Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud in New Delhi on Tuesday and discussed various issues of mutual interest.
They noted the steady progress in bilateral relations across all domains, and also discussed the media and public perceptions in that regard.
Dhaka, Delhi for quick completion of ‘Bangabandhu’ movie
Bangladesh and India have agreed to fast track the completion of “Bangabandhu”, a biopic on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, as it is expected to be released globally in March 2022.
Indian Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur held a meeting with a delegation of Bangladesh led by Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud in New Delhi on Tuesday and discussed the issue.
They discussed matters of mutual interests to further the strong ties between the two countries in areas of broadcasting and entertainment, strengthen people-to-people contact and explore the potential of soft-power interface between the two countries.
Also read: Info Minister for strengthening Dhaka-Delhi people-to-people ties
Inauguration of Bangabandhu Media Centre at Press Club of India Monday
Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud will open the “Bangabandhu Media Centre” at the Press Club of India (PCI) on Monday, demonstrating a growing friendship between the two countries on all fronts.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Muhammad Imran, Jatiya Press Club (JPC) President Farida Yasmin and former PCI President Gautam Lahiri will speak at the inaugural ceremony to be chaired by PCI President Umakant Lakhera.
The Information Minister reached New Delhi on Sunday to attend the ceremony and have a number of meetings there, a senior official at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting told UNB.
The Media Centre, set up with support from Bangladesh Mission in New Delhi, is an effort to pay tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Action against unregistered news portals, IPTVs soon, says Hasan Mahmud
Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Wednesday warned that stringent measures will be taken against unregistered online news portals soon.
“Online portals are being launched every now and then by anyone and everyone which has become a matter of great headache for all concerned,” he said.
“We have recognised the authentic ones and some have been shut down,” he said adding that registration process is still going on.
“After registering a few more, we will start taking actions against the unregistered ones,” the minister said.
Also read: Govt. to permit some IPTVs this month, says Hasan Mahmud
He said that the same procedure will be followed for IPTVs.
He added that no IPTVs around the world are allowed to publish news.
“Even the personnel of registered IPTVs won’t be able to carry press cards like reporters,” he said.
The minister came up with this information while speaking at an event of Bangladesh Crime Reporters Association on Wednesday.
Also read: Hasan Mahmud warns of clampdown on IP TVs
A portal of the organisation, crabnewsbd.com was launched at the event,
Earlier on Aug 2, Hasan said approvals will be given to some Internet Protocol Televisions (IPTV) within a month.
“We did not give any permission to any IPTV yet. We have asked the authorities concerned to apply for registration and some 600 applications have been submitted. We will give approval of some IPTV within this month after scrutiny,” he said.
Govt. to permit some IPTVs this month, says Hasan Mahmud
Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Monday said approvals will be given to some Internet Protocol Televisions (IPTV) within this month.
“We did not give any permission to any IPTV yet. We have asked the authorities concerned to apply for registration and some 600 applications have been submitted. We will give approval of some IPTV within this month after scrutiny,” he said.
The Minister came up with the information while talking to reporters at the Secretariat.
“It is known to all that according to the broadcast policy an IPTV can’t present any news and allegations have been brought against some IPTV,” said Hasan.
Replying to a question, the Awami League joint general secretary also said “The government has announced the mass inoculation drive following the roadmap, but BNP is trying to mislead people as they did in the past.”
Referring to the Gonoshasthya Kendra founder Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury's remark about the government's wrong policy, Hasan said “Knowing everything about the global situation, Dr Zafrullah is also misleading people. His statement is nothing but misleading.”
READ: Hasan Mahmud urges BNP to accept truth about its founder Ziaur Rahman
Dr Zafrullah on Sunday said the country’s health system has collapsed due to the ‘wrong’ policy of the government as it is suffering from 'dependency syndrome'.
“The Covid death rate has increased in the country because of the government’s wrong policy. The government has been walking on a wrong path for which the health system has completely collapsed,” he said while speaking at a press conference at Gonoshasthaya Kendra.
“The government has taken all steps to stem the Covid-19 from the beginning and we were able to tackle the first wave of Covid-19 successfully under the leadership of the prime minister,” Hasan said.
He said that the government has already declared that 10 crore doses will come within this year and one crore people will be vaccinated in one month.
To a query about the reopening of export-oriented factories amid strict lockdown and sufferings of workers, the minister said the demand to reopen the export-oriented factories came from the businessmen. The decision to reopen factories was not made by any secretary or person, it was the decision of the government.
READ: Hasan Mahmud senses unknown malice behind BNP observing Mar 7
But the garment owners said they will start work with the workers living in Dhaka and adjacent areas, he said adding but the owners deviated from it and made phone calls to the workers outside Dhaka to join their work and it created a confusion.
Hasan Mahmud warns of clampdown on IP TVs
Information and Broadcasting Minister and Awami League Joint General Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud has said that action will be taken soon against unregulated and unauthorized Internet Protocol Televisions (IPTV) across the country.
The minister was responding to a question from reporters at his official residence in Dhaka on Friday afternoon.
“Some IP TVs are often involved in spreading rumors, serving false information and engaging in hoaxes. Again, it is seen that before getting the approval, some people have opened offices like television channels, appointing district representatives. All these issues need to be brought into a regulation,” said Dr Mahmud.
Read: Hasan Mahmud urges BNP to accept truth about its founder Ziaur Rahman
After the ministry called for registration, more than five hundred applications were submitted.
Only the ones with quality would be sorted out and given approval, the Minister said.
During his conversation with the reporters, the Information Minister in reference to Helena Jahangir, director of Joyjatra IPTV, that it was not appropriate for such a person to enter the party's sub-committee.
Read: Connection between Bangladeshis and Indians ‘indelible’: Hasan Mahmud
Action was being taken against her and the authority would look into the allegations about her IPTV; if found to be true, action will be taken, he said.
Hasan Mahmud urges BNP to accept truth about its founder Ziaur Rahman
Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Monday said the word ‘decency’ doesn’t go with BNP as the people still remember the “indecent language” BNP chairperson had used about the prime minister over phone before 2014 national election.
“Our prime minister had made a phone call to Khaleda Zia before the 2014 election but what indecent language she used! People of the country have seen it. Besides, after Koko’s death, the prime minister went to Khaleda’s house to express condolence but she did not open the door even though the prime minister waited outside for 20 minutes,” he said.
Hasan was talking to the newly elected Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum (BSRF) at his office.
Also read: Hasan Mahmud senses unknown malice behind BNP observing Mar 7
He referred to BNP leaders’ statements alleging that the government is not allowing Khaleda to go abroad for treatment.