Dhaka, Aug 25 (V7N)- Information Minister Andaliv Rahman Partha has said the government has no intention of restricting or stopping anyone, stressing that it wants to move the country forward through cooperation and reform.
He made the remarks at a weekly briefing on the progress of various ministries at the Secretariat on Tuesday.
The Information Minister said Bangladesh is going through one of the most challenging periods in its history after 17 years. He said rebuilding the country from the ground up is difficult, particularly because the country's institutions and systems had previously suffered from widespread corruption and dysfunction.
He called for cooperation from all sections of society to overcome the challenges and move the country forward.
Responding to a question about former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Partha said the Indian government might be unwilling to take political responsibility for her and therefore was leaving the matter to the judiciary. He described the situation as unfavorable for Sheikh Hasina and said Bangladesh wants all fugitive accused to be brought back to the country.
Regarding cultural programmes, the minister said some events in Brahmanbaria and Kishoreganj had been stopped temporarily to maintain law and order. He stressed that the government supports cultural activities and said legal action would be taken after examining the circumstances surrounding the incidents.
State Minister for Information Yaser Khan Chowdhury said the media currently enjoys greater freedom than in the past. He claimed that no intelligence agency had contacted journalists during the past six months to exert pressure and said there had been no government-backed enforced disappearances or extrajudicial killings during this period.
He said journalists have the right to criticize the government and that media freedom would be protected. However, he cautioned against publishing statements or information that could harm the state or promote anti-state activities.
"The government and the state are not the same thing," he said, emphasizing the distinction between the two.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister's Information Adviser Dr. Zahed Ur Rahman said the country's gas supply has not yet returned fully to normal. He attributed some of the current difficulties to problems with gas cargo supplies and expressed hope that the situation would improve soon.
He said the government is concerned about the impact of the energy crisis on citizens but noted that the problem has accumulated over a long period.
According to Zahed Ur Rahman, no significant initiative was taken to explore onshore gas resources during the two years of the interim government. He said the current government is making efforts to address the energy crisis, although substantial improvement in the energy sector could take around two years.
He added that this does not mean the situation will deteriorate further, saying the government expects conditions to improve rather than return to the previous situation.
On cultural activities, the Prime Minister's Information Adviser said the situation has improved significantly compared with the period of the interim government.
He also praised Prime Minister Tarique Rahman for his interest in expanding cultural activities across the country, expressing hope that remaining shortcomings in the sector would be addressed soon.
END/SMA/AJ
