PM asks ministers to sue mediamen for false reports

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has instructed her ministers to file cases against reporters and editors of newspapers concerned, if false reports are published against them, reports UNB. The PM was learnt to have given the directive during the cabinet meeting Monday when two ministers complained to her about some newspaper reports against them. Shipping Minister M Shajahan Khan and State Minister for Religious Affairs Adv Shahjahan Mia alleged that the reports published in some newspapers about them are false and not based on facts. BSS adds: The cabinet Monday approved a proposal for signing the 'SAARC Agreement on Rapid Response to Natural Disasters' aimed at taking united efforts by the member countries of the regional grouping to tackle natural disasters. The approval was given at the regular meeting of the cabinet held in the secretariat with Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina in the chair. After the meeting, PM's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad briefed journalists in the PID conference room. Azad said the SAARC member countries including Bangladesh suffer massive losses due to natural disasters that occur every year as it is a natural disaster-prone region and all the countries face difficulties to tackle the calamities. Against this backdrop, he said, the signing of the SAARC agreement was needed so that the SAARC member countries could cooperate with each other during the natural calamities. The cabinet also okayed in principle the draft of Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (amendment) Act 2003. The act framed on March 13 in 2003 was amended twice in 2005 and 2010 as the authorities faced difficulties to run the activities of the commission. "In the meantime, the amendment to the act was needed further and in this view, the cabinet endorsed in principle the draft of Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (amendment) Act, 2003," Azad said. The cabinet was also apprised of attending of the fisheries and animal resources minister in the ministerial-level meeting of the Asian countries on 'Aquaculture For Food Security, Nutrition and Economic Development' held in Colombo on July 28-29. Ministers, advisers and state ministers concerned attended the meeting, while cabinet secretary and concerned secretaries were present.