Those who send letters against country should be brought under book: Hasan

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud Monday said the persons who have sent letters to foreigners against the country should be brought under book. “I think that Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and also BNP should be brought under trial for sending letters to foreigners against the country to stop assistance and to use it (aid) as a weapon. BNP has appointed lobby firms as a part of anti-state conspiracy and propaganda, to create barriers in country’s export trade and to tarnish the image of the country,” he said.

The minister added: “But, at first, they (BNP) have denied the allegations and Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, at a press conference, claimed that he didn’t send any letter. Later, they (BNP) became silent when we present all documents of letters signed by Mirza Fakhrul and the documents of appointing lobbyists by using BNP office address before the mass media.”

The minister stated these replying to queries of reporters at the meeting room of his ministry at Secretariat in the capital. Hasan said they (BNP) have no answer before the countrymen when their misdeeds were exposed. For this, they will try to raise various questions to hide their misdeeds, he added.

He said many developing countries of the world appoint PR firms or lobby firms to brighten their image and to increase export trade. “The foreign ministry has also said that we have appointed PR firms. Our export trade has been increased even during the COVID-19 pandemic situation. Our export trade has been increased to 50 billion dollars. We have done all these like other countries of the world and those are ‘black and white’ government agreements. So, there is nothing to raise question,” he added.

The minister said cases would be lodged against Mirza Fakhrul and BNP, and he (Mirza Fakhrul) will be incompetent in the politics and tried if the incidents of writing letters to stop aids would take place in any European countries.

Replying to another query over the COVID-19 vaccination issue, the minister said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is doing everything to protect the countrymen from Coronavirus. Even, many developing countries have failed to do so like her as she is conducting the vaccination activities successfully, said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.

He said floating people, slum people and the students of Qawmi madrashas are also getting vaccines.  The minister urged the persons who criticized the government over the vaccine issue to tell something about the government’s success to the people.

About the search committee, Hasan said the committee has been formed as per the law where all members except two are constitutional dignitaries. The constitutional dignitaries are not from any party or the government as the President or government cannot remove them from their positions and there is a specific process, he added.

Besides, he said the two members from civil society are very much neutral and respected personalities. So, in fact, there is no scope of giving negative statements against the search committee, he added.

The minister said Mirza Fakhrul has claimed that they would not go any election under this government. “But the polls are never held under the government. During the elections, the jobs of all those involved in the elections are entrusted to the Election Commission,” he added.

Hasan said, in fact, BNP has no faith in mass people. For this, they are trying to muddle the situation through anti-state conspiracy, he added.