BNP made Journos as workers at stroke of a pen: Hasan

Information and Broadcasting Minister and Awami League Joint General Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud Friday said BNP had turned all journalists into workers at the stroke of a pen by changing the act in 2006 before their departure from state power.

"BNP leaders are now making bigger talks before journalists. But they had turned all journalists into workers at the stroke of a pen by changing the act in 2006 before their departure from state power," he said.

Hasan was addressing as the chief guest of a cheque distribution ceremony of special assistance for Covid-19 and other assistances for journalists and their family members from Bangladesh Journalist Welfare Trust at Shaheed Sheikh Abu Naser Banquet Hall of Khulna Press Club this evening.

"After 1975, Ziaur Rahman was in power, HM Ershad was in power, BNP stayed in power twice under the leadership of Begum Khaleda Zia, but they didn't do anything for the welfare of journalists, they didn't form any trust," he said.

Bangabandhu's daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina constituted trust fund for journalists, he mentioned.

The minister said many journalists including Humayun Kabir Balu and Manik Saha were killed in Khulna, Shamsur Rahman Kebol and Saiful Alam Mukul in Jashore and many journalists were repressed when BNP was in power.

"Jananetri Sheikh Hasina stood by journalists at that period. Our government also stays beside journalists," he said.

Noting that the role of journalists as unique in establishing country and nation, Hasan said journalists formed public opinion through their reports and write-ups and thus society gets proper message.

On the other hand, society gets wrong message through false or faulty writings, he said.

People of no other professions can play role to establish country, society and nation and guide society on right track to such extent as like as journalist community, he mentioned.

In spite of being the 92nd country in the context of land areas in the world and having lowest arable land (per person), today Bangladesh is third in rice production, fourth in vegetable production, second or third in inland fish production, seventh in potato production, he said.

The minister said Bangladesh began providing vaccines to people free of cost before beginning of vaccination programme in 130 countries in the world and even Bangladeshi expatriates received jabs coming from the US.

After making different criticism over the vaccination programme, BNP leaders including its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed received Covid-19 jabs during darkness of night or some others in broad daylight, he said.

When the entire world reeled under the Covid-19 pandemic, Bangabandhu's daughter announced none would remain homeless in the country, he said.

Hasan said those working class people who had no home, who had to suffer in hot or cold weather or in rain and who had dream to have only a shelter to live, they got houses of their own under the Ashrayan project of the government.

The minister requested journalists to present those pictures before the people.

Khulna City Corporation Mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleque, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) Secretary General Dip Azad, Bangladesh Journalist Welfare Trust Managing Director Shuvash Chandra (Badal), Khulna Deputy Commissioner Maniruzzaman Talukder, Khulna Press Club President SM Nazrul Islam, its former presidents Makbul Hossain Mintu and SM Zahid Hossain were present on the occasion.  

Khulna Union of Journalists President Faruk Ahmed chaired the function. A total of 32 journalists and families of journalists received a total of Taka 23 lakh assistances while 86 journalists got Taka 10,000 each as Prime Minister's corona assistance.

Since formation of Bangladesh Journalist Welfare Trust, 8156 journalists and families of journalists received Taka 22.79 crore till April 25 last.

Besides, from Taka 10 crore of Prime Minister's corona assistance, around Taka 6 crore has already been distributed among journalists across the country and each one got Taka 10,000 as a cash lump sum.