Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has warned Social Welfare Minister Mohsin Ali for his defamatory remarks against the media and journalist community.
In the regular Cabinet meeting held at Secretariat on Monday, she also asked Mohsin Ali not to make such comments against the media people in any situation in the future.
A senior minister, who was present in the cabinet meeting, confirmed the matter requesting not to be named. He said that the issue was raised in the meeting as an unscheduled agenda where several ministers took part in the discussion.
“What has happened to you [Mohsin Ali]? Once you had smoked on the open stage. It became headlines in the media. Later you dropped the bad habit, which is good for your health. Now you have made some derogatory remarks against the journalists… Why?” the PM raised the issue in a light tone. But instantly she warned Mohsin Ali and asked him not to react in future.
Taking part in the discussion, Health Minister Mohammad Nasim said: Khabish [dirty guys] and rubbish are almost similar words. Where from you have got such a word as Khabis?
Mohsin Ali promptly replied: The both words have come from same area.
Another senior minister taking part in the discussion said, “Finance Minister AMA Muhith had created huge controversy for using a word ‘rubbish’. Now Mohsin Ali has worsened the situation terming the journalists Khabish. The electoral constituencies of both of them are in Sylhet Division.
Later several ministers joined the chorus and criticized both the ministers for their ‘rubbish and khabish’ comments.
Earlier on Friday, Mohsin Ali, an MP from Moulavibazar-3 constituency, 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’.
Later, in the wake of widespread condemnation, he begged pardon to the journalist community for using such insulting words. But the situation went out of his control soon. The journalist community staged demonstration the following day in Dhaka and demanded his immediate termination from the Cabinet within next 48 hours.
Earlier on July 23, he slept on the dais during a function in the auditorium of Directorate of Social Welfare where PM’s daughter Saima Wazed Putul was present. The government had fallen in an embarrassing situation when the media caught the picture of the ‘sleeping minister’ and circulated it instantly around the country.
The media also published the picture of the ‘smoking minister’ on January 27. He also drew attention over his recent comments on media coverage of Narayanganj seven-murder incident. Meanwhile, Information Minister Hasan-ul Hoque Inu categorically said that the government did not own the comments of Social Welfare Minister.
“It is his personal thinking. The government will not bear its responsibility. The government by no means is interested to curb the rights of journalists. What the Social Welfare Minister has said, it is totally his personal feelings. It is not the statement of government,” Inu said at a press conference at Secretariat yesterday. Inu, however, expressed sorrow on behalf of Mohsin Ali for creating such awkward situation.
