BNP fails to discharge its responsibility as opposition party: Hasan

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said BNP has failed in discharging its responsibility as an opposition party in democratic process.

"Concrete efforts of all are needed to move ahead the democracy. It's not only the government's responsibility to consolidate the democracy, democratic system and the system of multidimensional society. It is the reasonability of all political parties and those who do opposition politics. BNP has failed extremely to discharge the responsibility," he said on Monday, reports BSS.

The minister added: "They (BNP) don't believe in democracy and democratic social system. For this, they (BNP) tried to destroy different democratic organisations including the Press Council.

Hasan stated these while addressing a discussion organised by Bangladesh Press Council (BPC) marking the Press Council Day at its auditorium in city's Topkhana Road.

Information and Broadcasting Secretary Md Mokbul Hossain addressed the discussion as special guests with BPC Chairman Justice Md Nizamul Haque Nasim in the chair.

BPCs member and the daily Probhat editor Muzaffar Hossain Paltu, the daily Observer editor Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury and former president of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul, BFUJ president Omar Faruque and the daily Jugantar editor Saiful Alam, among others, addressed the discussion.

BPC members Sebika Rani and Dr Utpal Kumar Sarker, among others, were present.

Hasan said currently BNP is trying to create controversy as initiative has been taken to form the Election Commission through a participatory process. BNP leaders including Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir are giving statements losing their consciousness when they saw that the search committee having discussions with all persons of the society, even the persons who talked in favour of them (BNP), he added.

The minister urged the BNP leaders to see the mirror as how much they are failure as an opposition party. He also urged all to come forward to consolidate the democracy and the democratic social system and the multidimensional social system.

About the BPC, the minister said Bangabandhu's daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina thinks that flourishing of mass media and its freedom are needed for the flourishing of multidimensional society and the democratic state as well. Personal responsibility has also needed to this end, said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.

He said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had formed the Press Council to ensure the responsibility. Press Council is a judicial board and the main work of the organisation is to settle allegations if any person or organisation or group lodges any complaint against any news, he added.

Besides, he said, the BPC is also working on the policy of journalists. The draft of the BPC act has been sent to the Cabinet division to make the council stronger.

He said the draft of the mass media employee act has been made and it will send to the committee after placing in the parliament. The committee can change anything of the drafted act, he added.

Makbul said the ministry has taken steps to strengthen the press council for the welfare of the mass media.