Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Friday said ill-attempts are being made to spread confusion in the country regarding the economic prosperity, reports BSS.
"Many people do not like the economic prosperity of Bangladesh, which has been achieved under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the worthy daughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. That is why attempts are being made to create confusion in the country," he said.
The minister said this while briefing journalists on contemporary affairs at his Dewanji Pukur Par residence in the port city.
Hasan, also Joint General Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League (AL), said Bangladesh is continuously moving towards prosperity as the poverty rate is decreasing in the country day by day.
"Some newspapers are publishing purpose-oriented negative news. Identified persons from abroad are trying to mislead people by spreading fabricated information against Bangladesh. But this propaganda can not restrain Bangladesh from making progress," he added.
Noting that the diplomat's intervention in the internal affairs of the country is not appropriate, Hasan said they will be made aware of the Vienna Convention, if it is necessary.
The minister said the country is not seeking help from others for the national budget, rather they are showing interest in helping the country.
The AL leader also said various newspapers of the world are praising the way the country is moving forward despite the corona epidemic and the global recession.
"Recently, Bloomberg published a report, where it said that due to economic prosperity and maintaining economic stability despite the Corona pandemic, there is a chance of Sheikh Hasina to win the next election and she is going to be elected for the fourth consecutive term," the information minister added.
"The day before yesterday, our planning minister told a press conference that when we formed the government in 2009 the number of people living below the poverty line was 41 percent of the entire population. It has now dropped to 16 percent amid the corona-virus pandemic and global recession. Poverty rate in the United States is 17 percent," he said.
According to the IMF report, the country's per capita income surpassed India during this Corona pandemic," he added.
Dr Hasan said: "Bangladesh's economy stood at the 60th position among economies in the world when we formed the government in 2009. Now we are the 35th economy in the world in terms of GDP."
"We have crossed 25 countries in the last 14 years. Malaysia's economy is one of them," he added.
Hasan Mahmud said, "We should remember when the World Bank announced that it would not finance the Padma Bridge, some major newspapers gave a banner heading that stated Padma Bridge will not be constructed. But in Bangladesh, the Padma Bridge was built with our own funds."
Requesting journalists to be more careful about these matters, the minister said that the media as well as journalists can play a remarkable role in the development process of the country.
"And the role of the media is very important. The media help people to get the right information and the rightthinking. It also helps people to know about the world situation," he continued.
"Today, the world is facing recession . . . the UK and continental Europe are also facing a commodity crisis," he said.
"There is no crisis of any product in our country. People are not allowed to buy more than six eggs and a liter of edible oil at a time from European supermarkets as there is a shortage of essential products," he said.
In the context of the Russia-Ukraine war, the prices of goods in Bangladesh have increased, but a goods crisis has not yet been created here, he added.
AL joint general secretary further said, "Our government has ensured freedom of the media and we are determined to maintain and continue that freedom."
"We think that freedom of the media is related to the development of the state," he added.
In the name of freedom, if anyone practices shoddy journalism, the countrymen as well as the journalists' society must not support it, he said.
"You (journalists) will definitely agree with me that it is not appropriate to do politics in the name of journalism," the Minister added.
About the issuing of statements from 12 countries over the arrest of Prothom Alo journalist Shamsuzzaman, Hasan mentioned India where the BBC office was searched a few days ago.
"Did these countries then express their concerns and make statements?, he asked.
Because India is a big country and India's power and capacity is high, they could not show that courage there," he added.
Mentioning that BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir sought the help of diplomats in the restoration of democracy in Bangladesh, he said, "We have been saying since the beginning that they do not go to the people, rather they go to foreign diplomats for groveling."
"I expected from them that they would enjoy Iftar with poor people, but they broke fast with diplomats in a five-star hotel. They went there and pleaded for interference in our internal affairs," he said.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
