Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said some international mass media are publishing wrong and untrue news intentionally against the government and the state as well, which is not desirable.
“There are some foreign online news portals that carry out rumours and spread propaganda constantly against the country (Bangladesh). We also see that some international popular mass media are publishing wrong and false news against the government and the country deliberately,” he said.
The minister came up with the allegation while replying to a query from a journalist after addressing the cheque distribution function among the pandemic-affected journalists of Rangpur virtually from his official residence on Mintu Road in the capital.
Mentioning some programmes especially the ‘phone in’ programme of foreign media, Hasan said they bring those persons in phone calls through planning, who talk against the government. “They took interviews of those people who are against the government and some of us were interviewed to make that report credible,” he added.
But, the minister said, their main motive is to publish a report against the government and criticise it (government). It is not a job of a popular mass media, said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.
Replying to another query over a comment of BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the minister said the country became champions five times in grafts when BNP was in power under the leadership of Begum Khaleda Zia. So, the BNP secretary general’s remark on corruption is applicable for them, he added.
He said the BNP leader (Mirza Fakhrul) is an educated person and was a teacher of Dhaka College. “The statement of Mirza Fakhrul and the president of Chhatra Dal should not be the same. He should carry out more study before speaking,” said Hasan.
He said the per capita income of the country is now 2227 dollars which is more from India. The per capita income has been increased four and a half times during the last 12 and a half years while the purchasing power has been increased two and a half times, he added.
But, he said, it is regrettable that the BNP leaders including Mirza Fakhrul could not see the progress.
Earlier in the function, the minister said the journalists are working fearlessly during the ongoing COVID19 epidemic.
Hasan urged the countrymen to maintain the health code.
Journalists Welfare Trust Managing Director Zafar Wazed, Rangpur Deputy Commissioner Asif Ahsan, Rangpur Press Club President Mahabubur Rahman and Awami League district unit President Mamtaj Uddin Ahmed, among others, addressed the function.