BNP aims to create chaos in country: Hasan

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Monday said the BNP wants to create anarchy in the country.

“With a view to creating anarchy, the BNP is trying to wage their so-called movement but they cannot execute it successfully,” he said.

Hasan said this while replying to reporters after attending a meeting with artists, directors and producers of television at his secretariat office in Dhaka, reports Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha.

Additional Secretary (Broadcasting) of the ministry Khadiza Begum was present.

He said BNP leaders, earlier, said Khaleda Zia is very sick and she would not remain alive if she is not taken abroad.

Making such kind of emotional comments, the BNP tried to engage people in their movement but they failed, he said.

Noting that the world is facing a crisis situation due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Covid-19 pandemic, Hasan said Bangladesh is not an isolated island from the world and that is why it is also facing the impacts.

In this perspective, the minister said, the BNP is trying to create confusion among the people’s minds by spreading rumours and falsehood.

“We dealt with their anarchies in 2013, 2014 and 2015. So, it is nothing new to us,” he said.

Rejecting a demand of BNP over caretaker government issue, the minister said the issue has been settled more than 10 years ago. But, the BNP has been talking on this issue throughout the 10 years, said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.

He said the BNP is doing politics only centring caretaker government, Khaldea Zia’s sickness, her knee pain, Tarique Rahman’s punishment and the election commission but they didn’t raise voice for any public issue.

Replying to another query over an order of sending information and broadcasting secretary Mokbul Hossain to retirement, the minister said, “I heard it yesterday at the ministry. I don’t know what is the integral reason and the Public Administration Ministry can say it.”

The Public Administration Ministry can recruit one on contractual basis if any secretary goes to retirement, he mentioned.

Besides, the ministry can send anyone into retirement before completion of his or her job tenure, he said, adding that a notification has been issued by the Public Administration Ministry to this end.

He said the work of the ministry is going on as usual as he attends office every day.

“And I supervise all works completely. I also review the implementation progress after giving any decision,” he said.

Earlier in the meeting, Hasan said, “I’m trying with my utmost devotion and ability to develop the country’s television industry and artists after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave the responsibility of the ministry upon me. The ministry also discussed introducing TV awards on a national level like the National Film Award.”

Shampa Reza, Aruna Biswas, Shams Suman, Sajjad Hossain Dodul, SM Kamruzzaman Sagar, Naznin Hasan Chumki, Suman Shams, Prasun Biswas and Amar Shaikh, among others, were present in the meeting.

Hasan said the decision will be taken through discussions as it is a national issue. And his ministry could not take it individually, he added.

The minister said the cable operators are maintaining the serial of the Bangladeshi TV channels as per their on air date. Bangladesh Television is airing programmes in all over India through DTH from September in 2019, which is a milestone, he added.

Hasan said his ministry has issued a notification considering the issue of the country’s artists and it will be implemented very soon. Many ads are being made by the foreign artists while ‘we have many talented performers and ads makers’, he added.

The minister said there were many ads which opened the third eye of the people. But, currently the country is witnessing a trend that ads are being made by the foreigners and aired the foreign ads through dubbing, he added.

He said the ministry has issued a notification of realising additional tax of Tk 2 lakh for every foreign artiste if anyone makes ads. Besides, the TV channel which will air the foreign ads will also have to pay to the government, he added.

Hasan said the initiative has been taken for the development of the country’s industry and artists.

Besides, the information said, no TV channel could air more than one dubbing serial simultaneously.