Information and broadcasting minister Hasan Mahmud on Friday said that diplomats would be made aware of the Vienna Convention, if it was necessary. He also noted that the diplomats’ intervention in the internal affairs of the country was not appropriate. The minister said that the country was not seeking help from others for the national budget, rather foreign countries were showing interest in helping Bangladesh.

The minister said this while briefing journalists on contemporary affairs at his Dewanji Pukur Par residence in Chattogram city. The AL leader also said that various newspapers of the world were praising the way the country was moving forward despite the Covid pandemic and the global recession.

‘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 cannot restrain Bangladesh from making progress,’ he added.

‘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,’ he added.

He said that ill-attempts were being made to spread confusion in the country regarding the economic prosperity. ‘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.

Hasan, also joint general secretary of Bangladesh Awami League, said that Bangladesh was continuously moving towards prosperity as the poverty rate was decreasing in the country day by day.

‘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 per cent of the entire population. It has now dropped to 16 per cent amid the Covid pandemic and global recession. Poverty rate in the United States is 17 per cent,’ he said.

According to the IMF report, the country’s per capita income surpassed India during the pandemic, he added. 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 could 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 right thinking. 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 litre 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, 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 grovelling.’

‘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.

Acting president of Chattogram city AL Mahatab Uddin Chowdhury, its general secretary former mayor AJM Nashir Uddin, organising secretary Noman Al Mahmud, Chattogram north district AL president MA Salam, south district acting president Motaherul Islam Chowdhury and its general secretary Mofizur Rahman and Jatiya Sramik League central vice-president Safar Ali, among others, were present.