People's purchase power increases three times: Hasan

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud Sunday said the people's living standard has improved in the last 13 years while purchase power increased three times under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

"An unarmed nation had turned into an armed nation through the March 7 speech of Bangabandhu and achieved the independence. And, currently the country is marching ahead under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina astonishing the world. The politicians, who don't like the development and progresses, are doing politics of creating confusion among the people," he said.

The minister stated these while addressing a discussion organized by Awami League Forests and Environment sub-committee marking the historical March 7 speech at an auditorium of National Museum here with sub-committee president Khandakar Bazlul Haque in the chair.

Eminent poet Nirmalendu Goon, Dhaka University pro-vice chancellor poet Dr Muhammad Samad, the daily Bhorer Kagoj editor Shyamal Datta, eminent artiste Jayanta Chattopadhya and AL central committee member Marufa Akther Popy, among others, addressed the discussion while sub-committee secretary Md Delwar Hossain conducted it.

Urging all to remain alert against the plotters, Hasan said the language, culture and heritage could not be protected if Bangladesh had not achieved independence under the leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He (Bangabandhu) is the greatest Bangalees of all time, he added.

He said the per capita income of the countrymen has increased about four and half times and the purchase power also increased about three times. The fate of all people has changed, said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.

But, he said, BNP leaders including Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir are not seeing the development and they are organizing different programmes to create confusion among the people. The country became champions for five consecutive times in corruption during BNP's regime and they ran parallel government by creating "Hawa Bhaban', he added.

Later, the minister exchanged views with the leaders of Private Radio Owners' Association Bangladesh (PROAB) at the seminar room of his ministry at Secretariat here.

PROAB president and Asian Radio chairman Md Harun-ur-Rashid, advisors Md Nizam Uddin Bhuiyan Litan and Manoranjan Das, members ATM Zia Hasan, Sajjad Hossain Rashid, Kawsar Ahmed, Sams Suman, Shah Rezaul Mahmud, Anisuzzaman and Kamruzzaman Kamal, among others, were present in the meeting. Hasan said the broadcasting of private radio started in the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. A total of 19 radio channels are on air while license of 28 channels were given, he added.

Currently, he said, the people are hearing the private radios. The mass media could play a pivotal role in opening the third eye of a society, he added, Replying to a query over the comments of BNP leaders on Russia and Ukraine issue, the minister said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is now giving different statements questioning why Bangladesh abstained from voting in the United Nations.

He said Bangladesh doesn't want to involve in any conflict. "We want peace in the world," Hasan added.