Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said on Friday Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB)'s statement is not conducive to rectifying Mass Media Employees Bill rather it is an impediment to doing so, reports BSS.
The minister came up with the remarks while exchanging views with journalists at his official residence in the city.
Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary, said it has become TIB's habit to issue statement over all issues going beyond the areas of their work.
Mass Media Employees Bill will be ratified and amplified in the parliamentary standing committee meeting with the stakeholders and it is not a matter of TIB, he mentioned.
Even after that, TIB issued a statement to make it a political issue which is not helpful for the process of ratification rather it is a barrier, he observed.
The minister said mass media act is for journalists and media personnel and it is not a matter of corruption.
The bill has gone to the parliamentary standing committee and it will be ratified and amplified with holding talks with leaders of journalists, he said, adding that he has already held talks with leaders of journalists.
But TIB issued the statement to make it a political issue and there is an ill-motive behind the statement, he mentioned.
Asked about recent comments of BNP secretary general that Awami League has become a party of robbers and it is politicizing TCB card distribution, the AL joint general secretary said 10 million people irrespective of opinion and party affiliation have been given family cards and around 50 million people are beneficiaries of it.
He said in the way BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is making comments in recent days doesn't suit senior politicians and those are contravening the political courtesy.
When BNP was in power, the party turned into world robbers and that is why, Bangladesh became world champion in corruption for five consecutive times during their tenure.
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