State’s core spirit should not be attacked: Information minister
Information and broadcasting minister Hasan Mahmud on Monday said that mass media in Bangladesh is working independently and the present government always wants to maintain this freedom of press.
“It must be remembered that in the name of report, the core spirit of the state should not be attacked and no one should be abused to make the report attractive,” he said.
Hasan, also ruling Awami League (AL) joint general secretary, said this while speaking as the chief guest at an Iftar Mahfil organized by Bangladesh Editors’ Forum (BEF) at a restaurant in the city’s Segunbagicha area this evening.
Presided over by BEF chief advisor Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Bangladesh Press Council chairman justice Md Nizamul Huq Nasim spoke as the guest of honor in the function.
Convener of the forum Rafiqul Islam Ratan delivered the welcome address at event while member secretary Faruq Ahmed Talukder conducted it.
Appreciating the BEF for condemning the report of the Prothom Alo that undermined the country’s glorious independence, Hasan said, “The Editors’ Forum has made it clear in their statement that what the daily Prothom Alo has published in the name of news online and on social media on the great Independence Day is simultaneously irresponsible and anti-state act”.
“We live in pluralistic democratic society. We believe that the independent growth of mass media is essential for development of society and democracy,” the AL joint general secretary said, adding that Awami League is in favor of freedom of press not only when it is in the government, but also when it was in the opposition, and it will be continued in future.
“Let’s all work together to reach the country its desired destination,” said Hasan.
In his speech, The Daily Observer editor Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury said without state, citizens have no existence, so publishing anti-state reports can never be journalism, saying: “it’s bad journalism”.
Jatiya Press Club (JPC) president Farida Yasmin, former president of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul, incumbent BFUJ president Omar Faruque, managing director of Bangladesh Journalist Welfare Trust Shuvash Chanda (Badol), director general of Department of Films and Publications (DFP) SM Golam Kibria, general secretary of Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) Aktar Hossain, general secretary of Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) Mainul Hasan Sohel, Editors’ Guild leader Mollah Amjad Hossain, senior journalists Azizul Islam Bhuiyan, Shajahan Sardar, Sharif Shahabuddin and AKM Belayet Hossain, editor and publisher of the Bangladesh Bulletin Md Ashraf Ali,
Editor of the Sangbad Pratidin Rimon Mahfuz, editor and Publisher of the Bangladesher Alo Mofizur Rahman Khan Babu, editor of the Amar Barta Jasim Uddin, editor of Citizen Time Taufiq Hossain, editors’ Forum leader Dulal Ahmed Chowdhury, editor of the Chattogram Protidin Ayan Sharma, editor of Dhaka Times Arifur Rahman Dolan, advisory editor of the Dainik Bhorer Akash Motahar Hossain, editor of Sangbad Sarabela Abdul Majeed, editor of South Asian Time Deepak Acharya, editor of Country Today Hemayet Hossain, editor of the Dainik Mukhapatra Sheikh Jamal Hossain, editor of Bangladesh Kantha Faruque Khan and editor of the Sokaler Somoy Noor Hakim joined the function, among others.