Criticizing BNP for not observing the historic Six-Point Day, Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said the people who deny the history would surely be thrown into the dustbin of the history.
“June 7 is a part of our history . . . the Six-Point demand is the charter of our freedom. The people, who are not observing the day, actually deny the history,” he told reporters at a press briefing at his office at Secretariat here.
Earlier, the information minister exchanged views with the leaders of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ).
Hasan said, actually, the Six-Point demand contained the seeds of the struggle for achieving independence, but they don’t observe the day (June 7) consciously because the observance of the June 7 refers to the acceptance of independence.
He said they (BNP) would like to say that a man played a flute and then everyone joined the war of liberation and Bangladesh achieved the independence. But the matter is not like that, he added.
The information minister said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had devised a plan for attaining independence long ago. “In 1951, when Bangabandhu was in jail, he (Bangabandhu) wrote a letter to Comrade Moni Sing saying ‘I’m planning of liberty of Bangladesh’. He (Bangabandhu) wanted to know whether Moni Sing would support it or not,” said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.
He said Bangabandhu had conceived a plan for the independence of the country before 1951. But BNP does not observe the day as it refuses to accept the history. The people who would deny the real history would be thrown into the dustbin of the history, he added.
Hasan said, “Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman raised the Six-Point demand on June 7 in 1966 and the demand was the charter of independence for Bangalees. on the basis of the Six-Point demand, Bangabandhu won the 1970 general election, bagging most of the seats of the than East Bangla. Later, we achieved independence.”
He said Bangabandhu had declared the Six-Point to prepare the whole nation and stimulate the thoughts of the people desirous of achieving the independence of the country.
About media, the information minister said the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is a media-friendly government. She (prime minister) gave a declaration to assist the helpless journalists during the pandemic (Coronavirus), he added.
Hasan hoped that the lists will be finalized in the next week after receiving lists from different journalists’ organizations.
He prayed for early recovery of journalists who have been affected by Coronavirus and also prayed for eternal peace of the departed souls who died of the disease.
Urging the owners of different media outlets not to terminate any media workers during the epidemic, Hasan said, “The people are helpless in the pandemic situation. I urged earlier also. I’m urging again not to terminate any media workers.”
The information minister also urged the media owners to pay salaries and arrears to their respective media workers.
BFUJ secretary general Shaban Mahmud and DUJ general secretary Sajjad Alam Tapu, among others, were present in the view exchange meeting.
