Inu for criminal-free politics, truthful mass media
Dhaka: Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu on Sunday called for freeing politics from criminals and mass media from lies in the interest of democracy.
The minister was speaking as chief guest at the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) auditorium to distribute the Sohel Samad memorial prize -2016. RTV staff reporter Arafatur Rahman was awarded the prize for his four-part series "Blood Business."
Inu said that elections were discussed at length but polls were never meant to legitimize criminals. "That's why militants and their patrons should never be allowed to participate in the election must be pronounced loudly".
He further said that there was no alternative to holding the election fair but to keep militants and their patrons outside politics. "At the same time yellow journalism and truncated information providers should also be prosecuted, "he said.
The minister also congratulated Arafatur Rahman on receiving the Award and said "principles, objectivity, hard work, quest for knowledge, humanism and responsibility were important."
The meeting was presided over by the director general of PIB, Shaha Md Alamgir. Prime minister's Media Advisor Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury and others spoke on the occasion.