TIB statement not conducive to rectifying Media Employees’ Bill: Information Minister

Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud on Friday said the statement of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) is not conducive to rectifying Mass Media Employees Bill, rather it is an impediment to do so, reports news agency BSS.

He said this while exchanging views with journalists at his official residence at Minto Road in the capital.

Hasan, also Joint General Secretary of ruling Awami League, said it has become TIB’s habit to issue statement over all issues going beyond the areas of their work.

Mass Media Employees Bill will be ratified and amplified in the parliamentary standing committee meeting with the stakeholders and it is not a matter of TIB, he mentioned.

Even after that, TIB issued a statement to make it a political issue which is not helpful for the process of ratification rather it is a barrier, he observed.

The minister said mass media act is for journalists and media personnel and it is not a matter of corruption.

The bill has gone to parliamentary standing committee and it will be ratified and amplified with holding talks with leaders of journalists, he said, adding that he has already held talks with leaders of journalists.

But TIB issued the statement to make it a political issue and there is an ill-motive behind the statement, he mentioned.

Asked about recent comments of BNP secretary general that “Awami League has become a party of robbers and it is politicising in TCB card distribution”, the AL joint general secretary said one crore (10 million) people irrespective of opinion and party affiliation have been given family cards of Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) and around five crore (50 million) people are beneficiaries of it.