#thenewscompany : Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, MP, said today that the recently published US Human Rights Report was biased and violated diplomatic norms. “They should have taken our opinion on the issues concerned before preparing such a report,” the minister said.
Inu said this while talking to newsmen at his Secretariat office. He also said that the sources that were quoted in the report were dubious.
“Odhikhar”, a NGO which had claimed thousands had been killed during the Hefazat mayhem could not come up with the details, he said, adding, the few names they came up with did not prove to be true, as those persons were found to be alive.
Refuting the charge of media repression, the minister said that the media was completely free and they wrote whatever they thought to be right. Regarding the licensing of media outlets, he said there was no political consideration and any entrepreneur interested to invest in the sector was free to do so.
Referring to another charge in the report that said Jamaat-i-Islami was not allowed to hold a meeting as a NGO. He said it was not a NGO and why should be allowed to hold a meeting in that capacity. But he reiterated that like any civilized country, one needed permission to hold a public meeting in this country, too.
Regarding the freedom of the judiciary, he said “It was completely independent and that the resignation of S K Sinha was completely voluntary”.
Refuting a charge about corruption in the judiciary, the minister said “It’s not true. If there is any specific allegation it was investigated into.” He deplored the sweeping statement regarding the judiciary.
Referring to charges of extra-judicial killings, he said “There was no provision of immunity in Bangladesh. There used to be such a provision in the past to protect the killers of Bangabandhu but Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government had done away with it.”