Social welfare minister threatens to muzzle media

Social Welfare Minister Syed Mohsin Ali has threatened to rein in press freedom even as the prime minister herself has on several occasions asserted her government’s commitment to let the media work freely.

Ali was much criticised when the media ran a picture of him smoking in public at a function meant for school children.

He had then apologised to the media.

But at an inter-ministerial meeting on Tuesday, the minister came down hard on the media.

“The media have broadcast gory footages of the Narayangnaj murder every 5 to 19 seconds. They have done so to instigate the public.

“A stringent law is being drafted for the media so that they will not enjoy any kind of freedom,” Ali said.

He, however, did not go into details of the law at the meeting.

“The televisions have done whatever they wished with the footage of the bodies of Narayanganj murder victims,” Ali remarked.

“What not have you done?” he told the reporters, who were at the meeting to cover it.

“Is this the job of electronic media? You watch CNN, BBC. Do they broadcast gory pictures?”

Ali, a three-time Chairman of Moulavibazar municipality, was elected an MP for the first time in 2008.

After being elected to Parliament for the second time in the Jan 5 polls, the Awami League leader was made minister.