Fakhrul Urges Media to Criticise Govt Responsibly

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir ‍spoke at a seminar organised by the TEC at a city hotel today.

Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Minister and BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday urged the media to continue scrutinising the government and highlighting its shortcomings while also giving it sufficient time to deliver.

"The government must always be kept under watch. If it makes mistakes, those should be pointed out. But at the same time, the government must also be given time," he said while addressing a seminar titled "Role of Media in Sustainable Democracy", organised by the Television Editors' Council at a hotel in the capital.

Fakhrul said the media's role should not be limited to highlighting government failures but should also reflect its achievements.

Referring to television talk shows, he said some programmes focus heavily on the government's alleged failures over its first four months, creating an impression that the administration has accomplished nothing while receiving little attention to its achievements.

"This one-sided approach by the media is not appropriate," he said.

Highlighting the importance of media freedom and responsibility, the BNP leader said a strong and independent media is essential for sustaining democracy.

He stressed the need to strengthen media institutions and establish a healthy relationship between media owners and journalists.

"If the media can work independently and without conditions, democracy will also become stronger. But for that, it is not enough to depend only on the government. Media institutions themselves must also become stronger," Fakhrul said.

He expressed concern over the growing influence of social media, describing it as "even more dangerous."

"A small post or a short reel can destroy a person's lifetime achievements within moments," he said, citing restrictions imposed in some countries on children's access to social media because of concerns over its harmful effects.

Fakhrul said it was unrealistic to expect the government to solve every problem within a short period, particularly as Bangladesh is going through a transitional phase.

"This is not only true for Bangladesh but for many countries in Asia," he said.

Calling for patience and tolerance, he said, "We must not become impatient. We have to remain patient and tolerant. Otherwise, democracy can never move forward."

He urged the government, media organisations and media owners to exercise patience and tolerance, expressing hope that Bangladesh would move towards a sustainable democratic system under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's leadership.

"If everyone works with patience alongside Tarique Rahman, Bangladesh can be taken to a stage where democracy stands on a sustainable foundation," he said.

The minister said the BNP had inherited a "ruined system" whenever it assumed office.

Referring to the energy sector, he rejected claims that the current gas crisis was created by the BNP government.

"Has BNP created the gas crisis? The previous government did not carry out a single exploration scheme. Instead, it built a system dependent on imports," he said.

Fakhrul also alleged that the previous government created major problems in the power sector through quick rental power projects.

"The banking sector has also been left in ruins. Restoring it has become a major challenge for the present government," he said.