PM’s press secretary alleges incidents staged to divert attention from US visit
Prime Minister's Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Ruman today said some incidents were orchestrated before and after Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's recent US visit to draw public and media attention away from his international engagements and achievements.
"Some incidents were brought to the fore just before the Prime Minister and his entourage left for the United States," he told a press conference at the Karabi Hall of the Prime Minister's Office in Tejgaon.
Ruman said, "When we were preparing to leave for America with the Prime Minister and his entourage, we saw that some incidents were made to happen. I will not say they happened; you will understand why I am saying this."
The same thing happened after the Prime Minister returned home following a successful visit, during which Tarique Rahman had a packed schedule of engagements from morning until late at night, he added.
Ruman said, "We expected that our success would be the subject of news coverage and discussions when we returned home. But then another incident took place, and I noticed that most of the media talk shows focused on that instead."
He said, "Those who are opposing us are perhaps still following the same formula through which the former government ran the country," he added.
Ruman said the incidents were first highlighted by some online media outlets and were later picked up by major online portals, newspapers and television channels, giving them wider public attention.
Using an analogy, Ruman said a government could not be expected to succeed if it was simultaneously being constrained. "If you let a person swim across a river but tie his hands and feet, will he be able to cross it? I will not be able to do it either," he said.
He urged the media to extend cooperation to the government, saying the Prime Minister wanted to build a "beautiful and civilised Bangladesh."
"We want your cooperation. We have repeatedly appealed to you to cooperate with us. Our Prime Minister, Tarique Rahman, truly wants to build a beautiful and civilized Bangladesh. Please cooperate with us," he said.
Prime Minister's Adviser Mahdi Amin, Prime Minister's Press Secretary AAM Saleh Shibly, Prime Minister's Speech Writer Mahfuzur Rahman, Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu, Deputy Press Secretary Md. Suzauddhowla (Sujan Mahmud), Assistant Press Secretary Gazi Shahriar Pamir and Assistant Press Secretary KM Nazmul Haque Khan were present at the press conference.
