Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Wednesday urged the nation to take a fresh vow to resist ill-politics, communal forces in Mujib Year. “This is our promise to eliminate all ill and negative politics and resist communal forces from Bangladesh in the ‘Mujib Borsho’,” he said while addressing a meeting of Dhaka Journalist Association (DJA) at Jatiya Press Club in the capital.

DJA organized the meeting titled “Bangladesh is moving ahead under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina” marking its 5th founding anniversary.
Hasan said Bangladesh could progress more if negative politics was not pursued by political parties, especially BNP. “BNP criticises everything done by the government, but it should acknowledge the government’s good works and development activities,” he added. The minister said they (BNP) blocked common people, killed masses by petrol bombs, set fire on standing bus, truck and launches and hurled bombs on school-going children. “I hope that people will be freed from their (BNP) ill politics,” he added.

Criticizing the comment of Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on BNP chief Begum Khaleda Zia’s parole and health issues, the minister said they don’t know what they want and they have different opinions on Begum Zia’s health issue. He said their (BNP) objective is to do ill politics capitalizing the health issue of Begum Zia. And they don’t want well-being of her (Begum Zia), said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.

The minister said Bangladesh is moving ahead indomitably to fulfill the dream of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman under the dynamic leadership of his worthy daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

He said Bangladesh has attained remarkable progress in many socioeconomic indices, including human development index. “Bangladesh has surpassed Pakistan in all indicators including per capita income, average life expectancy and foreign exchange reserve. It has been possible only for the outstanding leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” he added.
“Once Bangladesh faced food deficit… Despite shrinking of farm land due to rapid urbanization and construction of different infrastructures including houses, Bangladesh has now become a food surplus country as the present government has implemented multifaceted development programmes,” said Hasan.

The AL joint general secretary said Bangladesh is now a case study for the World Food Organization as it has become a food surplus country though the agricultural land didn’t increase even for an inch. He said Bangladesh has made remarkable progress in strengthening the rural economy, setting example for other countries.

Hasan said Bangabandhu’s daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina now is known as the role model of development. Currently, about 95 percent people of the country are under the coverage of power, he added. The minister hoped that cent percent people of Bangladesh will be brought under electricity coverage within the Mujib Year. He also said today the Digital Bangladesh is not a dream, but a reality and the day has changed now.

Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) secretary general Shaban Mahmud, DJA general secretary Abdul Mazid and women affairs secretary Jasmin Jui, among others, addressed the meeting with its president Jahirul Haque Milu in the chair.