Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Joint General Secretary of Awami League. Hasan Mahmud said, our progress of two steps in the World Democracy Index and seven steps in the Happy Country Index proves that the country has consolidated democracy and good governance.
He said this during the president’s speech at the check distribution ceremony of the Journalist Welfare Trust at Corbi Hall of the Prime Minister’s Office on Monday (July 10).
The Information Minister said that the idea of Journalist Welfare Trust was conceived by Sheikh Hasina. He was the first to declare at the National Press Club that it is better to build an institution than to give occasional assistance. From that thought, first the welfare fund was formed and then the Journalists Welfare Trust was formed. The Journalist Welfare Trust today has truly become a place of hope for journalists and their families who are suffering, have met with accidents or have been killed in the country.
The journey of private television and radio started under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Hashan Mahmud said, in 2008, there were 10 televisions, now 35 televisions are in broadcasting, and 7-8 are waiting for broadcasting. There were 400 dailies in 2009 when we formed the government, now there are 1250 dailies. Broadcasting is private FM and community radio, thousands of online magazines are published.This breakthrough development of media has been made possible because of the media-friendly policies of Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League government.
Along with this development of media, democracy has also developed, said the Information Minister. He said, you know that every morning, afternoon and evening, the opposition party, especially Mirza Fakhrul Sahib and their leaders, say that we have no right to speak. They talk for three hours and say, we have no right to talk. Amidst their cries and comments threatening democracy, Bangladesh moved up two steps from 75th to 73rd place in the democracy index last year.
Stating that we have progressed 7 steps in the happy country index, Hashan Mahmud said, our position is now 94th behind India and Pakistan in the happy index. India’s position is 136th, Pakistan’s 121st, Sri Lanka’s position is 127th. Our position is 94th. This is proof of good governance under the leadership of leader Sheikh Hasina, proof of the march of democracy.
The Minister of Broadcasting said that in our country, the media enjoys free freedom, it needs responsibility. Index of Modern Democracy In the UK, as there is media freedom, there is also media responsibility. The world famous newspaper ‘News of the World’ was shut down after 130 years due to a fake news report there.
He said that the entire BBC team had to resign because of wrong reporting against a UK MP. A few days ago the Director General of the BBC had to resign. In the UK, television and newspapers face heavy fines for publishing false or inaccurate news or personal matters.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as the chief guest distributed checks of Tk 69 lakh among 65 members of sick, indigent and accident injured journalists and family members of deceased journalists. Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Humayun Kabir Khondkar gave a welcome speech on this occasion.
