5 percent depot ownership no way represents full ownership: Hasan

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said it is not acceptable to accredit Awami League leader Muzibur Rahman as the full owner of the fire ravaged BM Container Depot as he possessed just five percent ownership.

"Awami League leader Muzibur Rahman has only five percent ownership in the BM Container Depot. The rest 95 percent ownership goes to other people where the Netherlands has 60 percent stakeholders. It’s a great mistake to accredit Muzibur Rahman as the full owner of the depot who possessed only five percent ownership," he told reporters.

The minister added that mass media did the first mistake which presented the news in wrong way. Later, BNP has started lying based on that (news), he said, adding that the society often gets miss information when journalists ask misleading questions.

Hasan said the political parties, those do politics based on rumour and lying, also get opportunity. So that, it is not appropriate to accredit  him (Muzibur) the full owner of the depot, he added.

The minister stated these after exchanging views with the leaders of Association of Television Channel Owners (ATCO) at the meeting room of his ministry at Secretariat here.

Information and Broadcasting Secretary Md Mokbul Hossain, ATCO senior vice president Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, directors Abdul Haque, Kazi Jahedul Hasan, Liakat Ali Khan Mukul, Ahmed Jubaiyer, Navidul Haque, Md Ashfak Uddin Ahmed, Abdus Salam Labu, additional secretary of the ministry Khadiza Begum and other officials were present.

Replying to a query over spreading of rumour about Padma Bridge, Hasan urged all not to heed any rumour and said the bridge obviously would be inaugurated on June 25. "The bridge is not only a dream of us, it also the symbol of success of Bangladesh. The Padma Bridge is the symbol of success of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina," he added.

He said the same group who carried out rumour of human sacrificing in the beginning of the construction works of the bridge and even many innocent people were became victims of that rumour is spreading falsehood. 

The minister said Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is a gentleman and "I don't want to say more about him. But, I don't know whether he lies over the foundation stone of the Padma Bridge by seeing dream.

“Bangabandhu's daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has laid the foundation stone of the bridge on July 4, 2001. The then premier and state minister for communication Md Anisul Haque Chowdhury gave messages. I've also the pictures”.

He said it is needed to give exemplary punishment for such falsehood and rumours from a responsible position. Then these will be stopped, Hasan, also AL joint general secretary said.

Replying to another query over the arrest of a journalist under Digital Security Act in Rangamati, the minister said many journalists were also lodged cases under the act in different times.

"I don't know the details of the case. But a person lodged the case and now the journalist got bail. Trial is needed if anyone did crime. But it is not acceptable to be harassed to journalists or any others unnecessarily. I will look into the matter," he added.

Earlier in the meeting, ATCO senior vice president and the directors discussed about the special tax in broadcasting ad making by foreign artistes, clean feed (ad free) and TRP issues.

They demanded to stop streaming videos including talk-show by daily's online versions. They also demanded to ban the unregistered IP TV.

Secretary Md Mokbul discussed overall broadcasting related issues.

Hasan said Bangabandhu Satellite Company will start the works of TRP of televisions and radios. "Legal actions would be taken against those cable operators whose are airing foreign channels without clean feed and license would be canceled if needed. We will do it and we are monitoring from field level," he added.

Besides, he said, there is no approval of streaming video or airing talk-show in the declaration of newspapers, reports BSS.