Arafat urges journalists to take stance against lie

State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat today (7 July) urged the journalists to stand against the lie and reject falsehood to create a healthy environment in the country's political arena.

"If we can eradicate the falsehood from the politics and society . . . a healthy environment will be created in politics, which will help the country to move forward," he said, referring to the BNP's propaganda against the government.

The state minister was addressing the cheque distribution ceremony of Bangladesh Journalist Welfare Trust (BJWT) at Tathya Bhaban in the city's circuit house road area this afternoon.

Jatiya Press Club (JPC) President Farida Yasmin, MP, spoke at the function as the special guest with BJWT Managing Director Shubash Chanda (Badol) in the chair.

The BJWT today distributed the grant amounting of Tk2.22 crore among 294 journalists across the country in the last (third) phase of the fiscal year 2023-2024 while about Tk6.16 crore was distributed among 784 journalists in this fiscal.

Highlighting the government's media and journalist-friendly initiatives, Arafat said like Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, his daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also believes that the freedom of press and expression, and the role of journalists are very crucial for taking the country forward.

The state minister said, "Bangabandhu's daughter took the initiative of establishing the BJWT from her that positive thinking, which is playing an enabling role for the journalists during their sickness and financial hurdles".

"We observed different vested quarters' attempts to criticize the Sheikh Hasina government over the freedom of press, journalism and expression, but we do not notice the publicity of her government's media and journalist friendly initiatives," he said.

The state minister said the establishment of the BJWT and the effort of standing by the genuine destitute journalists through it proved that the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is journalist-friendly.

"So, we should give befitting reply projecting these initiatives to those who spread falsehood against Sheikh Hasina's government," Arafat categorically said.

Pointing finger at BNP leaders, Arafat said they were spreading falsehood over the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Bangladesh and India on the regional connectivity.

They were saying that Sheikh Hasina signed a MoU allowing Indian trains to run through Bangladesh carrying arms, ammunitions and explosive posing a security risk here, which is an absolute lie, he said.

But the truth is that trains of both countries will go through both countries following the national laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the respective countries and the trains cannot carry 'red traffic' like dangerous and objectionable goods, including arms, ammunition and explosives, the state minister added.

According to the MoU, he said, "Bangladesh's trains will also go to Nepal and Bhutan through India and we will import electricity from Nepal using India's national gridline".

But, they (BNP) spread falsehood overlooking these clauses to mislead the people, the state minister said, adding, "When I explained the MoU at a press conference, they (BNP) leaders started saying that the MoUs were not made public. My, question is here, if you did not get the MoU or read it then how did you make your comments on it?"

Noting that making people confused by telling lies is not the freedom of expression, he said, "It is an offense and injustice. But, this injustice is being exercised in this country".

Arafat termed the spreading of falsehood as the intellectual corruption and said it is worse than financial corruption as it misleads the nation to follow a wrong way.

Urging the journalists to reject the falsehood and uphold the truth, he said, "We will welcome the criticism of the government's mistakes and failures. But please do not criticize us with falsehood."

Trustee board members of the BJWT Principal Information Officer (PIO) Md Shahinoor Miah and Dhaka Union Journalists (DUJ) Sohel Haider Chowdhury spoke at the function.