TIB statement is not conducive to rectifying Media Employees' Bill: Hasan

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud Friday said the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB)'s statement is not conducive to rectifying Mass Media Employees Bill rather it is an impediment to do so.

He said this while exchanging views with journalists at his official residence at Minto Road. Hasan, also Awami League Joint General Secretary, said it has become TIB's habit to issue statement over all issues going beyond the areas of their work.

Mass Media Employees Bill will be ratified and amplified in the parliamentary standing committee meeting with the stakeholders and it is not a matter of TIB, he mentioned. Even after that, TIB issued a statement to make it a political issue which is not helpful for the process of ratification rather it is a barrier, he observed.

The minister said mass media act is for journalists and media personnel and it is not a matter of corruption. The bill has gone to parliamentary standing committee and it will be ratified and amplified with holding talks with leaders of journalists, he said, adding that he has already held talks with leaders of journalists.

But TIB issued the statement to make it a political issue and there is an ill-motive behind the statement, he mentioned.

Asked about recent comments of BNP secretary general that "Awami League has become a party of robbers and it is politicizing in TCB card distribution", the AL joint general secretary said one crore people irrespective of opinion and party affiliation have been given family cards of Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) and around 5 crore people are beneficiaries of it.

Any AL leader was not given the charge in the process rather public representatives, who are from AL, BNP, Jatiya Party and other parties, were given the responsibility, he said.

  

Actually, BNP finds politics in every matter, he said. Hasan said as the people become pleased by getting TCB family cards and they thanked the government, BNP cannot accept the matter and they are talking like the insane.

He said in the way BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is making comments in recent days doesn't suit senior politicians and those are contravening the political courtesy. When BNP was in power, the party turned into "world robbers" and that is why, Bangladesh became world champion in corruption for five consecutive times during their tenure.