Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Tuesday said Ziaur Rahman would remain as a murderer and betrayer in the pages of history.
“Ziaur Rahman tainted the politics of Bangladesh and he started the trend of corruption and looting in the country’s economy. Zia was one of the main perpetrators of Bangabandhu assassination. He also killed hundreds of soldiers of armed forces to cling to power. For this, Zia will remain as a murderer and betrayer in the history,” he said.
The minister said this to reporters after addressing a function marking a photograph exhibition ‘Bangabandhu o Rupashi Bangla Alokchithra Pradarshani o Sonmanona-2022’ jointly organized by Bangladesh Photo Journalists Association (BPJA) and Shilpakala Academy at an auditorium of the academy here.
State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid and Director General of Shilpakala Academy Liakat Ali Lucky, among others, addressed the function.
Hasan said BNP didn’t hold the trial of Zia killing. BNP was in power for two times under the leadership of Begum Khaleda Zia, but they didn’t hold the trial of the killing.
Replying to a query over BNP’s recent activities, the minister said they are holding meetings with different so-called parties and none know the name of those parties’ general secretaries or presidents, which is ridiculous, he added.
He said the parties are nothing but only signboard-based, adding: “I don’t know what will come from the meetings with those signboard-based parties except publishing news.
In the function, the minister said a picture is stronger than a word and the photo journalists are working by taking risk. Even, they wait for a picture for days, said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.
The minister hoped that the photo journalists will focus the unprecedented development of the country under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina through their photography.
Khalid said the photo journalists had played a pivotal role in revealing the real history of the country to the new generation by exposing various moments and incidents of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s life and works. They (photo journalists) encouraged the new generation by presenting different moments of language movement, 1969’s uprising, the great Liberation War and 1990’s movement against autocrat government, he added.
Academy director Mini Karim, BPJA president Golam Mostafa, general secretary Kazal Hazra and convener of the function Moin Uddin, among others, also addressed the function.
One hundred photographs on Bangabandhu’s life and works and 100 photographs on nature will be exhibited in the week-long exhibition.
TUNGIPARA, May 31: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday offered prayers at the mazar of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Tungipara of Gopalganj.
Accompanied by her sister and Bangabandhu’s younger daughter Sheikh Rehana, the premier offered Fateha and joined a munajat (prayer) seeking eternal peace of departed souls of the Father of the Nation and other martyrs of August 15, 1975 massacre.
Prayers were also offered seeking divine blessings for good health and long life of Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana and their family members as well as continued peace, progress and prosperity of the country.
The prime minister also offered prayers at the graves of her grandfather and Bangabandhu’s father Sheikh Lutfar Rahman and grandmother and Bangabandhu’s mother Sheikh Sahera Khatun in Tungipara.
A doa and milad mahfil was held after zuhr prayers at Bangabandhu’s mausoleum complex mosque marking the death anniversary of the prime minister’s grandmother, who died this day (May 31) in 1974.
The prime minister along with her family members and relatives attended the doa and milad mahfil from the Father of the Nation’s home on mazar premises.
Earlier, she paid rich tributes to Bangabandhu by placing a wreath at his mazar.
After laying the wreath, she stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memory of the architect of the independence, who was brutally killed by some disgruntled army men on the dreadful night of August 15, 1975 along with most of his family members.
The Cabinet on Monday approved the draft of Bengali and English versions of the Regional Trade Agreement (RTA) Policy, 2022 aimed at protecting and expanding export markets to effectively face the post graduation challenges.
The approval came from a regular weekly cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office here.
Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam told a news briefing at the Bangladesh Secretariat that Bangladesh needs to sign trade agreements with many countries to protect and expand export markets as well as ensure duty-free access for Bangladeshi products by overcoming the challenges of the post graduation from LDC.
“We’ve taken steps to go for regional trade agreements. So, the policy has been taken for it (signing RTAs),” he said.
The meeting, he said, also approved the draft of Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation Act, 2022 to make the industrial entities under the BSCIC more effective.
The proposed law will promote women entrepreneurs as the existing law, 1957 is an old one, which needs to be revised.
The Cabinet also approved in principle the draft of International Mother Language Institute (Amendment) Act, 2022 to form a language research trust under the institute.
The name of the trust will be ‘Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Language Research Trust under which a permanent fund will be created, he said.
Anwarul added that scholarship and fellowship will be given from the permanent fund for language research and development.
The meeting endorsed the ratification proposal for an agreement to be signed between Bangladesh and Oman on the mutual visa exemption for the holders of diplomatic, official, special or service passports.
The cabinet also approved the proposal for providing the transit facilities to Nepal under the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal-Motor Vehicle Agreement (BBIN-MVA) by cancelling its earlier decision over the Operating Modalities for the Carriage of Transit Cargo between Nepal and Bangladesh.
About government measures to open the Padma Bridge to traffic on June 25 next, the cabinet secretary said the bridge would be opened through super-gorgeous ceremony.
There will be replication of the original gala event in all the 64 districts in the country simultaneously, he added.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Monday night said investigative journalism tells the untold stories of the underprivileged and marginalised people of the society.
“Journalism is such a profession that plays important role in running the society smoothly, opening the third eye of the society and help pay attention to the neglected sides of the society which is not possible by any other profession, ” he said.
The minister stated these while addressing the Bashundhara Media Award-2021 organised by East West Group at International Convention City auditorium in the capital.
Bashundhara Group chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan inaugurated the function with its managing director Sayem Sobhan Anvir in the chair.
Bangladesh Press Council Chairman Md Nizamul Haque Nasim addressed the function as special guest.
Eleven journalists have received awards for investigative journalism and 64 senior journalists at district level also received the awards and certificates.
Hasan congratulated the recepients and extended thanks to the Bashundhara group for giving award to journalists.
He said such award giving progamme would encourage reporters to work for the welfare of the society. There is life risk in investigative journalism and journalists have to do the work braving this hardens, he added.
He said mass media is the fourth pillar of a state and the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina think that flourishing of state and democratic society is rooted with the expansion of mass media. For this, a vast revolution has taken place in mass media in the last thirteen and a half years, said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.
Ahmed Akbar Sobhan extended thanks to the guests.
Sayem also extended thanks to the awardees.
The awardees are: Ahmed Ishtiak of the Daily Star, Kawsar Soheli of Massranga TV, Salah Uddin Jashim of Jagonews24.com, Shoeb Chowdhury of Desh Rupantar, Jannatul Ferdowsi of GTV, Jesmin Papri of newsbangla24.com, Rajib Ahmed of the daily Somokal, Showkat Sagar of Ananda TV, Adnan Rahman of Dhaka Post, Mazharul Islam of Massranga TV and Dipu Malakar of the daily Prothom Alo.
The jury board members were Professor Dr Md Golam Rahman, senior journalists Ajoy Das Gupta, Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul, the daily Desh Rupantar editor Amit Habib, writer Nasir Ali Mamun, Professor Dr AJM Shafiul Alam Bhuiyan, Associate Porfessor Shownti Haider of Dhaka University and journalist Julfikar Ali Manik.