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.
Fakhrul made the remarks as chief guest at a seminar titled “Role of Media in Sustainable Democracy”, organised by the Television Editors’ Council at a city hotel.
He said the media’s role should not be limited to exposing government failures but should also reflect its achievements.
Referring to television talk shows, Fakhrul said some programmes were being framed around the “government’s four months of failure”, creating an impression that the administration had completely failed while giving little attention to what it had achieved.
“This one-sided approach by the media is not appropriate,” he said.
Highlighting the importance of media freedom and responsibility, the BNP secretary general said a strong and independent media was essential for sustaining democracy.
He stressed the need to strengthen media institutions and build 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 also 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.
Fakhrul noted that countries including the United Kingdom, Australia and France had imposed restrictions on children’s access to social media because of its harmful effects.
The minister said it was unrealistic to expect the government to resolve every problem within a short period, as the country was passing through a transitional phase.
“This is not only true for Bangladesh but for many countries in Asia,” he said.
Calling for patience and tolerance, Fakhrul said democracy could not move forward if people became impatient.
“We must not become impatient. We have to remain patient and tolerant. Otherwise, democracy can never move forward,” he said.
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 the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
“If everyone works with patience alongside Tarique Rahman, Bangladesh can be taken to a stage where democracy stands on a sustainable foundation,” he said.
Fakhrul said the BNP had inherited a “ruined system” whenever it assumed office.
Referring to the energy sector, he rejected suggestions that the current gas crisis had been 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.
He also alleged that the previous government had 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,” Fakhrul said.
