Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said the government has set up a makeshift court in Keraniganj Central Jail as per the laws and regulations to conduct BNP chief Begum Khaleda Zia’s trial in her convenience.
“The government can set up court at anywhere as per the laws and regulations and assisting the court is a responsibility of the government…
So, the government has set up the makeshift court in Keraniganj Central Jail as per the laws and regulations in Khaleda Zia’s convenience as she is sick,” he said this on Wednesday while replying to a query from newsmen on the sidelines of an a2i programme at PIB here.There is no constitutional matter as setting up court and conducting trial procedures are different things, Hasan said, adding that it is the matter of judges what they will do in trial procedure.
BNP should be happy as the makeshift court has been set up inconvenience of Begum Khaleda Zia to reduce her sufferings of traveling to court, he said. Earlier, the minister addressed the ‘PIB-A2i Mass Media Award 2018’ distribution ceremony at the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) auditorium here.
Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar addressed the function as the guest of honor while Information Secretary Abdul Malek and a2i’s Policy Advisor Anir Chowdhury addressed it as special guests with PIB Directory Board Chairman Abed Khan in the chair. About BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi’s leaked telephone conversation with a Khulna BNP leader on jute mill workers’ movement, the minister said BNP, they, earlier, carried out many sabotages and arson attacks and killed hundreds of people hurdling patrol bombs.
They damaged government and non-government properties worth about Taka thousands crore, Hasan said, adding, “Now they have no ability to wage movement. So, when someone wages movement, they try to shift the track of the movement and carry out sabotages in exchange of money”. Although now it is appeared that BNP is staying away from their destructive activities, their such phone call proves that they are waiting to use opportunity to restore their destructive activities, he said.
While addressing the award distribution ceremony, the information minister urged the PIB to launch an award for investigative report, especially for report on humanity.
Noting that Bangladesh has much forwarded in using digital technologies, Dr Hasan underscored the need for protecting moral values so that the moral values could not be lost with the use of the technologies. Addressing the function, Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar said the country has now got identity as ‘Digital Bangladesh’ in the world.
The world community now respects Bangladesh, the minister said, adding that the developing countries are following Bangladesh. Mentioning that every unions of the country will be brought under the optical fiber connectivity in the end of this year, Jabbar said about 10,000 post offices have been turned into digital post offices. In the function, Information Secretary Abdul Malek said the present government believes in freedom of mass media.
There was 778 newspapers in the country in 2009, the official said, adding there are now 3,124 newspapers, 45 private television channels while the government has launched community radio which is helpful for coastal area people.
PIB Director General Zafar Wazed delivered welcome address in the function while Dainik Bhorer Kagoj Editor and Jury Board Member Shyamal Dutta addressed it, among others.
In the function, seven journalists received the PIB-a2i media award 2018. The award recipients are Buddhadeb Kundu of Boishakhi TV, Rafiqul Islam Montu of Risingbd, Ibrahim Hossain Ovi of Dhaka Tribune, Md Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh Betar, Ujjal Biswas of Dainik Gramer Kagoj, Syed Zakir Hossain of Dhaka Tribune and Md Waliullah of Dainik Share Biz.
