PM Hasina says 'termites' eating up development funds

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the government is trying to “catch and destroy termites” that eat up development project funds, reiterating that the drive against corruption will continue.

“We’ve been making efforts to catch and destroy these termites as well as ensure proper use of every taka of the hard-earned public money for the development of the country,” she said.

Speaking at the inauguration of the official broadcasting of local private television channels through Bangabandhu Satellite-1 at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka, she said funds were sometimes embezzled by corrupt people during undertaking and implementing development projects.

She reiterated that the ongoing drive against militancy, terrorism, drugs and corruption will continue, and that action will be taken against people involved in crimes.

“The drives will continue … action will be taken against whoever is involved (in these offences) irrespective of their political and family identities,” said Sheikh Hasina.

She urged leaders of the Association of Television Channel Owners (ATCO) to be alert regarding broadcast of propaganda as it creates confusion among people.

“I’ve no objection if you talk against us (the government) or criticise. But please remain careful about false propaganda. Because, false propaganda creates confusion and doubt among the people of the country,” she said.

Information minister Hasan Mahmud also spoke as the special guest at the event presided over by posts and telecommunications minister Mustafa Jabbar.

ATCO chairman Anjan Chowdhury, also owner of Maasranga Television, delivered the speech of greetings, while posts and telecommunications secretary Ashoke Kumar Biswas made the welcome speech.

At the function, commercial deeds over broadcasting using Bangabandhu Satellite-1 were exchanged between the private television channels and state-owned Bangladesh Communication Satellite Company.

Bangladesh joined the elite satellite club as the 57th nation by launching its first geostationary communications and broadcasting Satellite ‘Bangabandhu Satellite-1’ into orbit from Kennedy Space Centre in the US in May last year.

Along with encouraging criticism, the prime minister also urged the television channels to broadcast the successes her government had earned for the country in the last 10 years to instil confidence among people so that they can dream of a decent life.

“You can’t deny that we definitely did some works for the country in the last 10 years. We want you to broadcast these. You can achieve success with your works when there’s a confidence among the people. Don’t do anything so that people lose their trust despite so many successes,” she said.

The prime minister noted how there was only television channel in the country before her party came to power in 1996. Her government opened the television channels for private sector after assuming power to create employment, enhance recreation scopes and for flourishing culture.

She recalled that many people had made fun of her party’s slogan of ‘Digital Bangladesh’ before the 2008 election. She said she was not familiar with the concept of ‘digital’ and learned it from her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy.

About Bangabandhu Satellite-1, she said Bangladesh has been able to reach a new height by sending satellite into space.

The broadcasting of the country’s channels through the satellite has opened up a new dimension, she said, adding that money spent by private channels for using foreign satellites would be saved now.

Sheikh Hasina said the satellite will remove many barriers for broadcast.

Half of the satellite’s 40 transponders are currently being used. She said the government offered neighbouring countries to rent the remaining transponders so that Bangladesh can earn money.

She further said the satellite can effectively be used in facing any disaster, reaching telemedicine services and spreading e-education system to the very remote areas, including inaccessible hills and haors.

The satellite can also be used for navigation and aerospace research, she added.

The prime minister said her government has already started the process of launching the second satellite. The life span of Bangabandhu Satellite-1 is 15 years.