BSS :
Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said BNP, who criticized
Covid-19 vaccines from the very beginning, is carrying out propaganda against the vaccines till now and such act goes against public interest.
“BNP is carrying out propaganda against the Covid-19 vaccines . . . It is against public interest and a punishable offense as per the country’s law,” he told newsmen on Wednesday in the auditorium of Press Information Department (PID) at Secretariat in the city.
Earlier, the minister addressed a discussion organised by PID marking the National Mourning Day.
Later, he inaugurated week-long exhibition on photography, digital display and Bangabandhu in newspapers organised by PID and Bangabandhu e-corner on PID’s website.
State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Murad Hasan and Secretary of the ministry Md Mokbul Hossain addressed the discussion as special guests with PID Principal Information Officer Md Shahenur Mia in the chair.
Hasan, also Awami League Joint General Secretary, said BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi was sick for many days. For this, he didn’t give statements, he added.
“Now we are relieved that he is back in good health and giving statements. But, according to his speeches, it seems that he has not got well and he needs more rest and treatment. The statement that he made yesterday is not really a sign of his recovery,” he said.
The minister said he (Rizvi) was talking about the vaccines of AstraZeneca. He took the vaccine of Moderna, not AstraZeneca which means he didn’t take it directly, Hasan said, posing a question did he (Rizvi) take it indirectly?
He said the government has collected the vaccines whichever he (Rizvi) took. Many top leaders of BNP took the vaccines of AstraZeneca though they are carrying out propaganda against the activities of vaccination of the government, he added.
Referring to some research, Hasan said the vaccines of AstraZeneca of Oxford, manufactured by Serum Institute in India, are more effective than other vaccines. Even, the vaccine (AstraZeneca) is 92 percent effective against the delta variant of Covid-19, he added.
He said according to some research, the vaccine would create antibody for a long. “The delta variant originated in India and the vaccine of AstraZeneca has been given to about 10 crore people there (India). And the detection rate has been reduced to one percent in India,” he added.
In the meeting, Hasan paid rich tribute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
He said Bangladesh was established under the leadership of Bangabandhu. Bangabandhu had awakened an unarmed and sleeping nation with the motto of independence, he said, adding otherwise, the nation would not have earned liberation.
The minister said Bangabandhu inspired thousands of people and they joined the Liberation War. “But it is really regrettable that the defeated forces of the Liberation War are doing politics even after the fifty years of independence and during the observance of the birth centenary of Bangabandhu. Those, who are doing politics and hatching conspiracies till now, didn’t want Bangladesh. And BNP patronizes them,” said Hasan.
He said it is really unfortunate that the people, who were against the country and took up arms against the freedom-loving people during the Liberation War, are doing politics till now. And Ziaur Rahman gave them the scope of doing politics in the country, he added.
He said Bangabandhu had banned the religion-based politics including Jamaat-e-Islam.
But later, Ziaur Rahman gave permission to the religion-based political parties to do politics, he added.
The minister said Golam Azam was staying in Bangladesh with Pakistani Passport. “The BNP government returned his (Golam Azam) citizenship. Thus, Ziaur Rahman rehabilitated the war criminals,” he added.
Now, the expectation of the countrymen is to unmask the masterminds, including Ziaur Rahman, who were involved in the brutal assassinations of Bangabandhu and most of his family members, said Hasan.
Murad demanded posthumous trial of Ziaur Rahman and to form a commission to unmask the kingpins behind the brutal assassinations.
Mokbul urged all to take lessons from the life and works of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
