BNP activists have no confidence on Mirza Fakhrul: Hasan

Information and Broadcasting Minister and Joint General Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League (AL) Dr Hasan Mahmud said that BNP workers do not have confidence on Mirza Fakhrul as he is not trusted by their party activists.

“It is ridiculous to listen that people will jump into the movement as soon as they hear the whistle of BNP secretary general. When the BNP activists go to a program, they remain engaged in fighting among themselves and that program becomes postponed,” he added.  

Dr Hasan said this while exchanging views with officials and employees of Bangladesh Betar, Chattogram after inspecting its office this noon.  

Nitya Prakash Biswas, residential engineer of Betar, Regional Director SM Mostafa Sarwar and Deputy Message Controller Md. Zakir Hossain, among others, attended the function.

The minister said the Chattogram radio station has played a very important role in the history of our liberation war struggle.  

Dr Hasan also said that the transmitter used by the then General Secretary of Chattogram AL MA Hannan to read the declaration of independence on behalf of Bangabandhu at Kalurghat is now kept in the old circuit house in the city.  

“The transmitter will be shifted from old circuit house to the Kalurghat Wireless Transmission Center where it was earlier,” he added.

“A small museum will be set up there. Swadhinata Park has already been set up there, it is imperative to stay the said transmitter with Swadhinata Park from where declaration of independence was announced by this transmitter. Bangladesh Betar authority has already taken decision to relocate the transmitter. Arrangements will be made to relocate the transmitter there following due process,” he added.

In response to the question by journalists regarding Mirza Fakhrul Islam’s contention that people are ready for the movement, they will jump into movement after the whistle, Dr Hasan said that it seems that if he or their acting chairman blows the whistle from across the seven seas and thirteen rivers, then people will take to the streets.

“In fact, this dream of Mirza Fakhrul is the day dream and all statements of BNP secretary general  are ridiculous,” he added.

Terming Chattogram Betar Kendra is a historic one, Dr. Hasan said the declaration of independence had read out on March 26 from there.

“The whole nation and people of the world knew that Bangabandhu had declared the independence of Bangladesh, that Bangladesh was an independent state through the declaration from Chattogram Betar Kendra. That is why, it is a historic radio station,” he added.

He said that just as radio has played a unique role in the freedom struggle of Bangladesh, now the same radio has also been playing a unique role in advancing the country’s development.  

“Betar has been carrying out many awareness programs, especially agricultural based programs, birth control, environmental, besides many other activities,” he added.

Dr Hasan said that several steps have been taken for the development of radio so that radio can play a stronger role for heading the country’s development and helping the country to implement the Bangabandhu's dream.    

Mentioning that radio is a very ancient media he said that Radio can reach out to marginalized people.

“Television cannot be heard in the sea. But the radio can be heard sitting in the middle of the Bay of Bengal, on the top of the hill in the Chattogram Hill Tracts. People rely on the radio to hear the signals of disaster.

Listening to the radio has decreased in the middle, but now the radio listening habit has come back. Now we can listen to radio programs from any part of the world through apps on mobile phones,” he added.