The stakeholders of Sharsha Upazila of Jessore, Santhia Upazila of Pabna and Srimangal Upazila of Moulvibazar district were involved in the virtual event. The Prime Minister unveiled a book called “Jayatra” containing the development plans implemented in the last 15 years. Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Malek and State Minister for Water Resources Zahid Farooq also spoke on the occasion. Two separate video documentaries on the activities of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Water Resources were screened on the occasion. Referring to the meanness and selfishness of BNP’s thinking, the Prime Minister said, Awami League has run a community clinic. Khaleda Zia came to power after 2001 and closed the community clinics established by her government after 1996, fearing that those who will be treated may vote for Awami League. Now more than 5000 community clinics have been established across the country and various health care services including 30 types of medicines are being provided free of charge. Trust funds have been given so that no one can close these community clinics in the future. He said, there was no medical university in the country. BNP doctors had to face many hurdles while establishing BSMMU. But now there are total 5 medical universities in the country including Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chittagong and Sylhet. Our aim is to make a medical university in every department. Because we need doctors, nurses and skilled manpower as well as research in medical science. A separate fund has also been provided for that. He also said that since 1996, his government has built several specialized institutes and hospitals as a result of which employment has increased as well as people are getting services and treatment. Sheikh Hasina said, I express my gratitude to the people, the people of Bangladesh for the development of the country from 2009 to 2023 in various sectors including roads, bridges, waterways, railways, airways, along with health care. Because they have repeatedly voted Awami League to power. He said, “You got freedom in this country only by voting on boat marks and this development is possible today because you voted on boat marks.” “His government has brought down the rate of poverty from 41 percent to 18.7 percent and the rate of extreme poverty from 25.5 percent to 5.6 percent,” he said, referring to that, Inshallah, no one will be extremely poor or landless or homeless in this country in the future. Apart from providing houses for people of all professions, the government has made arrangements to improve the quality of life. He referred to the efforts of his government to deliver electricity and fresh water facilities to every house and advised them to be cost-effective and called on the concerned to take measures to properly maintain the development projects done by his government. He called upon the public representatives of all classes to monitor this matter.
Published October 17, 2023
Staff correspondent :
Prime Minister’s Information and Communication Technology Adviser Sajib Wazed Joy has said that the BNP’s public threats to journalists about the consequences if they do not support them in the run-up to the national elections, is designed to arm the independent press, which is a gross contempt for the media. exposure
Sajib Wazed said in a tweet on Saturday that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has started attacking journalists anew, showing extreme contempt for the freedom of the press.
He presented a video report with several past news reports including attacks on journalists, abuse of talk show hosts, misogynistic comments about women presenters and constant threats against journalists by the top leadership from public meetings.
Recently, BNP’s media cell issued a public threat on their verified Facebook page, saying, ‘We are imposing a strict ban on journalists: who are with democracy and who are with dictators.’
Joy said a free press in a democracy embodies the freedom to hold both the government and the opposition accountable, but the BNP directive seeks to stifle and intimidate the media from functioning independently.
He said that the strength of media in a democracy lies in the idea that journalists should not make concessions to either the ruling party or the opposition.
But this direct threat to the party’s media cell reveals the extreme intolerant face of the party and threatens the media if the BNP comes to power, as they did in 2001-06.
Recently, BNP top leaders attacked women anchors in the face of critical questions, before a senior journalist revealed in a talk show that BNP-Jamaat cadres had provided video footage of petro-bombing and bus burning of journalists and insisted on airing such gruesome footage.
Meanwhile, despite the increase in popularity of these channels, the BNP leaders have spread false propaganda against some media claiming that the number of viewers has decreased after the boycott.
Apart from this, several incidents of attacks by BNP leaders and activists on journalists have also come to light, but no effective action has been taken.
Senior journalists have also criticized the party for its ongoing ‘attack’ on the media in an attempt to stop negative coverage of the party ahead of the elections.
Apart from this, various media reports also said that the BNP leaders are threatening journalists with US sanctions, praising the comments made by the US Ambassador Peter de Haas about the ban on the media.
