Staff Correspondent: Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Sunday urged the madrasha students and teachers to avoid the leadership of rotten and misleading politics.

“I don’t know what they (Hefazat Islam leaders) are feeling about Mamunul Haque. But I feel ashamed with the yesterday’s incident of Mamunul Haque,” he told reporters before attending a meeting with the leaders of cable operators at the meeting room of his ministry.

Hasan said Mamunul Haque and others created anarchy at different places. They carried out violent activities at Brahmanbaria, Dhaka, Narayanganj and Chattogram, he added.

“I, as a citizen of the country and a Muslim as well, would like to urge the madrasha teachers and students to avoid the rotten leadership who used the Islam to serve their own interest and gave fotowas. But, they don’t lead life according to the Islam,” he said.

Referring to BNP leader Nipun Roy’s phone call, he said the untoward incidents were created under the banner of Hefazt Islam to make unstable the country’s situation.

“BNP-Jamaat fuelled them which was proved in the phone call of Nipun Roy. The phone call is clear that the attacks were not to protect Islam or not for Hefazat or not for Narendra Modi’s visit. They created the chaos for political purposes by using religion,” said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.

About the cable network digitalisation, the minister said the cable network system will be digitalised and none would control the network personally. “The country is now a digital state. The cable network will also come under the digitalisation as the customers are not getting proper services and the government is also not getting taxes,” he added.

He said the ministry will ensure that the person who gets licence will run his business in his own area. If needed, mobile court will be conducted, he added.

Association of TV Channel Owners’ (ATCO) senior vice president Mozammel Babu, cable operator representatives SM Anowar Parvez, ABM Saiful Hossain, Mohammad Nazmuddoha and Md Mostafizur Rahamn, COAB administrator Mohammad Mostafa Jamal Haider and senior officials of the ministry were present at the meeting.

Replying to a query about ministry’s activities during the prevailing COVID19 situation, Hasan said his ministry performed its duty in the first general vacation as some departments of the ministry are under emergency services.