DHAKA, March 10, 2020 (BSS) – Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today
said from now on, BNP will not be ashamed to chant ‘Joy Bangla’ as the High
Court (HC) has declared it as the national slogan of the country.
“From now on, BNP won’t be ashamed to chant ‘Joy Bangla’ slogan,” Dr
Hasan, also the ruling Awami League joint general secretary, told a press
briefing at the conference room of the Information Ministry at Secretariat
here this afternoon.
Referring to the HC verdict on “Joy Bangla” slogan, he said, “We welcome
the verdict declaring ‘Joy Bangla’ as our national slogan… I hope BNP and
some other quarters, who felt shy to chant ‘Joy Bangla’ slogan’, will not do
so any more.”
The information minister added: “Joy Bangla’ is not a slogan of any
particular party, it is the slogan of Liberation War. And we have to chant
this slogan everywhere showing due respect to the country’s independence.”
About BNP’s politics on coronavirus issue, the AL joint general secretary
said the coronavirus issue is not merely the problem of Bangladesh; it has
become a global catastrophe.
“BNP has started doing politics with the novel Coronavirus, they should
stand by the people without doing politics with it,” Hasan Mahmud told the
briefing.
Mentioning the worldwide setback due to the Coronavirus outbreak, he said
the aircrafts are now operating on a limited scale due to the contagious
Corona and the world leaders, including US President Doland Trump, curtailed
their respective trips.
Hasan alleged that BNP leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam started looking for
political agenda on it, but his politics over coronavirus issue is tantamount
to doing mockery with mass people.
“BNP always thinks of their party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia’s health
condition. But if you (BNP) do politics for people, you should not do
politics with Coronavirus,” Hasan said.
About the appeal of BNP for releasing their chief, he said BNP’s politics
now remained confined in the health ground of Begum Zia only. Relatives of
BNP chairperson only think of Begum Zia’s health and they never think of
others at all, Dr Mahmud observed.
The information minister urged all people, irrespective of political
affiliations and opinions, to work with the mass people together to face the
ongoing global disaster (Coronavirus outbreak).
About the celebration of Mujib Year, the birth centenary of Father of the
Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the AL minister said a massive
programme was chalked out to celebrate the mega event where some foreign
dignitaries were also invited but the prime minister shortened
programmes considering the Coronavirus.
He called upon the media not to spread any rumour centering the
Coronavirus as some media houses are creating panic on it.
“No such situation has yet been created to spread any panic centering the
issue (Corona). The incumbent government earlier has taken a precautionary
measures against the outbreak of it in Bangladesh…….People, coming from
abroad, are entering into Bangladesh’s territory through scanning,” he said,
adding, “No such situation yet to create to close the educational
institutions here.”
Over price hike of mask and hand-wash materials, the information minister
said a section of dishonest traders increased the prices of masks, hand-wash
and clinical materials in many ways, but the government is keeping close eyes
on it.
Stern action will be taken against the individuals involved in the price
spiral of those, he cautioned.