Shawdesh Desk:

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said it has again been proved internationally that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is a terrorist organisation.

The minister exchanged views with journalists after visiting the project site of Bangladesh Television Centre in Rangpur on Tuesday noon.

Dr Hasan Mahmud, also Awami League (AL) Joint General Secretary, made the remarks in reply to a question of a journalist that a court in Canada has termed the BNP as a terrorist organisation for the fifth time.

The information minister said, “Earlier when some BNP politicians sought political asylum in Canada then a court of the country (Canada) in a judgment termed the BNP as a terrorist organisation. And they (BNP) are trying to oust the democratically elected government forcibly. The orgnaisation (BNP) is involved in terrorist acts and they (BNP) are setting vehicles on fire and burning people. Again, some days ago, another politician of the BNP sought political shelter in Canada and the Federal court in Canada has given the same judgment saying that the BNP is a terrorist organaistion. Therefore, no political asylum should be issued for them (BNP politicians). And accordingly, the court in Canada rejected the petition that sought political asylum.”

News agency BSS adds: Replying to a question regarding the adverse comments of BNP leaders Aman Ullah Aman and Gayeshwar Chnadra Roy on government’s hospitality, the information minister said it is the political ethics of Awami League.

Dr Hasan Mahmud said the government tried its best and gave divisions and maximum possible facilities in jails to political leaders who were arrested in the last 15 years so that they could remain there well.

“So, the allegation of not extending hospitality and care to arrested political leaders in the last 15 years is not correct,” he said, adding that he personally enquired of many arrested political leaders for their well-being in jails.

Hasan said, “It is the ethics of our party taught by Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina. The hospitality and care extended previously to arrested political leaders did not come in social media and that is why the countrymen could not know.”

On the contrary, there is no political ethics in BNP and they started saying opposite words after enjoying hospitality and coming out of police custody only a few days ago.

“When BNP was in power, senior Awami League leader Begum Matia Chowdhury was tortured at Russell Square and former Home Minister Mohammad Nasim was mercilessly beaten by police with sticks without taking any care or giving service or hospitality,” he said.

Replying to another question, the minister said BNP itself was bowled out during their recent program of besieging Dhaka and they fled from the field.

“Even yesterday, BNP arranged a public rally at Sohrawardi Uddyan with highest 20,000 people and you (journalists) have observed it in television footage,” he said, adding that he was ashamed why such a fewer number of people were in the BNP rally.

Earlier, Dr. Hasan Mahmud planted saplings of a ‘Haribhanga’ mango tree and an ‘Amloki’ tree on the BTV’s Rangpur sub-station premises on his arrival there at noon.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister said the present government has taken a plan to establish full-fledged television centres in all divisional cities across the country and taken a project for this.

“We have taken a project to establish a full-fledged centre of BTV in Rangpur and the project has been approved by the ECNEC. We wanted to implement the project before the next elections, but could not. But there will be a full-fledged BTV centre here” he said.

“After establishment of the full-fledged centre of BTV in Rangpur, local artistes, literary personalities, intellectuals and other people will get opportunities to expose their talents in their respective fields, culture and heritage before the whole country,” he said.

The minister told reporters that the Rangpur district and metropolitan units of Awami League will arrange a mammoth public rally of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Rangpur Zilla School ground in the city tomorrow (Wednesday).

“The public rally will turn into a human sea as I see the huge eagerness, enthusiasm and response of people. There will be ten times more people in Rangpur city than in the main rally venue at Rangpur Zilla School ground,” he said.

Local Awami League leaders, high officials of BTV, officials and employees of Rangpur sub-station BTV and a large number of journalists were present.