Intellectuals’ statement deprives of workers’ rights: Hasan Mahmud

Information and broadcasting minister and Awami League joint general secretary Hasan Mahmud on Monday criticised the recent statement made by 34 intellectuals in favour of Dr Muhammad Yunus.

Addressing the discussion the minister said, “It’s a question whether the intellectuals have issued the statement by losing their mental power or they have used their brains for depriving the people of the labour class.”

“With due respect, I would like to say that Dr Yunus is a senior citizen and Nobel laureate. But, he didn’t provide the dues of his workers. The aggrieved workers filed the case which is now under trial,” he said.

Television Camera-Journalists Association (TCA) organised the discussion marking the National Mourning Day at a convention centre in the Panthapath area of the city.

Deputy minister for water resources AKM Enamul Hoque Shamim addressed the discussion as the main speaker.

 “I would like to tell the intellectuals that you have given a statement in favour of Dr Yunus. But, why have you not given any statement in favour of the workers,” Hasan Mahmud questioned, saying “the workers were supposed to get Tk 12 billion, but it was reduced to Taka 4 billion through fraud.”

Commending the role of camera journalists of televisions the information minister said the camera persons are the lifeline of the visual media. Camera journalists work hard through facing many challenges in their duties, he added.

The minister urged the TV channels authorities to pay their legitimate salaries to the camera journalists. He also asked the owners of television companies to bring the journalists under the universal pension scheme declared by the prime minister.

TCA president Sheikh Mahabub Alam presided over the function while Md Enamul Haque, MP, prime minister’s special assistant and AL office secretary Biplob Barua, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) president and Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) deputy chief news editor Omar Faruque, Broadcast Journalists Association member secretary Shakil Ahmed and TCA general secretary Shahidul Haque Jiban among others, addressed the discussion.