Information Minister and Joint General Secretary of Awami League Hasan Mahmud commented that BNP could not be happy even though the people of the whole country were happy because the metro rail was launched in Dhaka. He said this while speaking as the chief guest at the donation check distribution ceremony of the Journalist Welfare Trust at the Bangladesh Press Institute auditorium in Kakrail of the capital on Wednesday afternoon. Hasan Mahmud said BNP leader Nazrul Islam Khan held a press conference last day with wrong and false information. Today the whole country is happy, but they cannot be happy. This is political evil; it is a hindrance to the development and progress of the country. Pointing out that the opposition party also needs to be criticized, the information minister said, ‘I would request the journalist brothers that just as the officials are criticized, those who are in the opposition party also have a responsibility, they also need to be criticized. You will see both. Hasan Mahmud, referring to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s media friends, said, “In 2001, 26 journalists of the Bangladesh News Agency were dismissed with one stroke of the pen during the BNP period, but not a single journalist was dismissed for dissent during the Awami League period. Journalist Welfare Trust created by media-friendly Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for all journalists is providing support to all journalists irrespective of party affiliation. On this day, in the first phase of the current fiscal year 2022-23, welfare grants of Tk 2 crore 68 lakh 50 thousand were given to 304 journalists and journalist families across the country. Along with this, 684 journalists were given a one-time sum of 10,000 takas from the prime minister’s corona grant. Established in 2014, the Journalist Welfare Trust has provided 34 crores 81 lakh 30 thousand takas as welfare and corona grants to 11 thousand 458 journalists and journalist families since 2015-16.
