A Correspondent:
Barishal: Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan yesterday said fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the people will be the government’s foremost objective.
“It is our moral responsibility to uphold the trust and confidence placed in us by the people. Therefore, fulfilling all expectations of the people will be our sole goal,” he said while exchanging greetings with BNP leaders and activists of Gournadi-Agailjhara at the Gournadi Bus-stand auditorium here.
Gournadi Upazila and Municipal units BNP organized it.
Addressing leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies, he described the administration under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman as a people-friendly government.
He warned that no one representing the government should act in ways that harm ordinary citizens.
“We entered politics to safeguard the rights of common people. There can be no compromise on respon-sibility, patience, patriotism, and trust in the people,” he added.
Highlighting the vital role of the media in strengthening democracy, the minister said mass media must be developed as free, independent, and responsible institutions.
He stressed that media outlets should not be used as tools for promoting the ruling party; rather, they should present the country’s internal issues objectively to the people.
He also noted that the government has taken various steps to ensure the job security and safety of jour-nalists working at the grassroots level.
Referring to the country’s economy, the minister observed that Bangladesh remains largely agriculture-based.
Along with garment industry and remittances, agriculture forms a major pillar of the country’s economy as a significant portion of population depends directly or indirectly on agriculture, he said.
To strengthen the agricultural economy, he said the government has taken initiatives to introduce a Farmer’s Card system, enabling farmers to purchase seeds, pesticides, and farming equipment more easi-ly.
He said the government has already declared a waiver of agricultural loans amounting to Taka 10,000 for farmers.
Leaders and activists from BNP and its affiliated organizations—including Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, Jubo Dal, Mohila Dal, and Sramik Dal—as well as representatives from various unions and wards were present at the event.
