‘Termites’ eating up development funds

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the government was trying to “catch and destroy termites” that eat up funds of development projects.

“We have been making efforts to catch and destroy these ‘termites’ and ensure proper use of each hard-earned taka of the people for the development of the country,” she said.

The PM was speaking at the inauguration of the official broadcasting of local private television channels on Bangabandhu Satellite-1 at a city hotel.

Hasina said funds were sometimes embezzled by corrupt people during undertaking and implementation of development projects.

She reiterated that the ongoing drive against militancy, terrorism, drugs and corruption would continue, and that action would be taken against people, irrespective of their political and family identities, involved in crimes.

The PM urged the leaders of the Association of Television Channel Owners (ATCO) to be alert about broadcasting of propaganda as it creates confusion among the people.

“I have no objection if you talk against us [government] or criticise us. But please remain careful about false propaganda. Because false propaganda creates confusion and doubt among the people of the country,” she added.

At the function, commercial deeds on broadcasting private television channels on Bangabandhu Satellite-1 were exchanged between the TV channels and state-owned Bangladesh Communication Satellite Company.

In May last year, Bangladesh had joined the elite satellite club as the 57th nation by launching its first geostationary communications and broadcasting satellite “Bangabandhu Satellite-1” into orbit from Kennedy Space Centre in the US.

‘AIR PROGRAMMES ON SUCCESSES’

Yesterday, Hasina also urged the television channels to broadcast programmes on successes earned by the government in the last 10 years to instill confidence among the people so that they could dream of a decent life.

“You can’t deny that we definitely did some works for the country in the last 10 years. We want you to broadcast those. You can achieve success with your works when there is confidence among the people.”

The PM noted that there was only television channel in the country before her party came to power in 1996. She said her government opened television channels for the private sector to create employment, enhance the scope for recreation activities and flourish culture.

She recalled that many people had made fun of her party’s slogan of “Digital Bangladesh” before the 2008 national election. The premier said she was not familiar with the concept of “digital” and that she learned it from her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy.

Hasina said the broadcasting of local private TV channels on Bangabandhu Satellite-1 has opened up a new dimension and the money spent by the channels for using foreign satellites would be saved now.

She said the satellite would remove many barriers to broadcasting.

The government has already started the process of launching the second satellite, the PM mentioned. The life span of Bangabandhu Satellite-1 is 15 years.

Information Minister Hasan Mahmud and ATCO Chairman Anjan Chowdhury, also the owner of Maasranga Television, addressed the programme, chaired by Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar.