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Published : 09 Aug 2014, 11:54 PM
At a discussion in Sylhet on Saturday, the minister warned journalists that they would not be able to sleep in peace if they were not ‘careful enough’.
Ali was much criticised when the media ran a picture of him smoking in public at a function meant for school children, for which he had to apologise in public.
Prior to the Cabinet’s approval of the policy, the minister, on July 22, had threatened to rein in press freedom, saying: “A stringent law is being drafted for the media so that they will not enjoy any kind of freedom.”
On Saturday, Ali told the discussion that he would have done more on the issue, if he was present at the Cabinet meeting, which cleared the policy.
“Be careful from now on. Do not write whatever you feel like,” said the minister.
Reporters covering the event boycotted it and left the venue after the minister’s comments.
Ali claimed that the Prime Minister praised his previous comments regarding the media.
“My leader (Sheikh Hasina) said after returning from London that ‘Mohsin has done the right thing. Inu (information minister) is a leader of the 14-party Alliance, while Mohsin Ali is a grassroot leader of the Awami League. Who else will defend the Awami League other than him?'” he said.
