Journalist leaders have termed Social Welfare Minister Syed Mohsin Ali “mentally imbalanced” and urged the government to sack him from the cabinet for making abusive remarks against the journalist community.
They said Mohsin has been deliberately giving speech against the journalists while his speech, use of word and body language have raised questions about his education, taste and family status.
The journalist leaders also demanded immediate arrest of Mohsin Ali, an MP from Moulavibazar-3
constituency, for the audacity.
Earlier on Friday, the minister while addressing a function in the auditorium of Sylhet Municipality heavily criticized the journalist community and said that ‘journalists are dirty guys and their characters are not good enough’.
Protesting the comments of the minister, a faction of Bangladesh Federal Journalist Union [BFUJ] and Dhaka Union of Journalists [DUJ] staged a rally in front of the national Press Club on Saturday. They said the Social Welfare Minister is mentally imbalanced. I urge the concerned authorities to send him to Pabna Mental Hospital for treatment.
We will go to the court for legal action in this regard. I urge all to be united to uphold the dignity of the journalists, they said.
The minister had driven away the photojournalists from the dais and asked them not to take his photograph. He also ordered the newsmen to leave the meeting venue and asked them to take away their microphones from in front of him.
Referring to the recent broadcasting policy, the minister said, “I was not in the cabinet meeting on the day. I wish I were there. I will see how much you can do after the formation of independent commission for the national broadcast policy.”
“Just wait, a tough law is going to be enacted. There will be such law that you [journalists] will not be able to sleep in peaceful mind. Go away from here. I am not here to see your [journalists’] faces,” the minister added.
Mohsin Ali also said, “The journalists are uneducated, under graduate and also characterless. They have taken the journalism profession just after roaming few days in the college ground…Only my daughter has studied in journalism and completed her post graduation.” “You all filthy corrupted and stupid…you should know that my in-law’s house is in Sylhet. So, I engage them all by giving just an order to the people of the Sylhet.” Condemning the derogatory remarks by the minister, the on-duty reporters instantly boycotted the function.
Earlier, Mohsin had triggered huge controversy by smoking on an open stage in front of school students at a reception on January 27. He also drew huge criticism over his recent comment on media coverage of Narayanganj seven-murder incident.
