Hasan urges journalists to hold pen against BNP’s atrocities

Urging journalists to hold their pens against BNP’s arson attacks, Information and Broadcasting Minister and Awami League Joint General Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud has said BNP is carrying out attacks on people and public transport in the name movements.

BNP is announcing programmes of carrying out arson attacks from hide in the name of politics, he said.

The minister was distributing cheques from Bangladesh Journalist Welfare Trust among journalists at the Tathya Bhaban auditorium in Dhaka.

Subversive activities can never be political programmes, Hasan Mahmud said urging journalists to hold their pens against the arsonists and miscreants.

The minister said as many as 32 journalists sustained injuries in BNP attacks on October 28. Out of them, more than 20 reporters have been working in BNP beat for long, he said.

The information minister said BNP-Jamaat killed journalists whenever they were in power. About 14 journalists including Humayun Kabir Balu, Manik Saha, Saiful Islam Mukul and Shamsur Rahman in Jashore and Khulna were killed during the BNP regime, he said.

Dr Hasan said BNP leaders sounded highly that they would resist the upcoming election by creating tough movements along with their allies. But, six political parties left the alliance yesterday declaring their decision to take part in the coming poll, he said.

He said it’s not the police or any government agency but BNP leaders who kept their central office under lock in key after the mayhem on October 28. Now BNP leaders find none to open their office, he said.

“BNP leaders have lost the courage to open their office. How will they do politics?” he posed the question.

Hasan Mahmud said the upcoming election will be held as per the scheduled time with a huge participation of voters.

About the journalist welfare trust, the minister said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is journalist friendly and the trust is one of the unique examples. The trust has emerged as an organization of reliability for journalists, he said adding the Premier has allocated Tk 10 crore recently.

Dr Hasan distributed cheques of Tk 1,53,50,000 to 186 journalists and their family members.

Earlier, the minister inaugurated the new office of the trust at DFP.

Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) president Omar Faruque and secretary general Dip Azad, among others, addressed the function with trust managing director Subhash Chanda in the chair.

Jatiya Press Club president Farida Yesmin, general secretary Shyamol Datta, Principal Information Office Shahenur Mia, DG of Mass Communication Nizamul Kabir and DG of DFP SM Golam Kibria, were present, among others.

/KN/