Dailynewsun Desk:
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Thursday said the government will not do anything that goes against the interests of journalists.
“The Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government is journalist-friendly one. It is very sympathetic to any issue of media.
Keep trust in Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” he told a press conference at his official residence here, reports BSS.
Quader, also the Awami League General Secretary, said the premier always stay beside journalists in following the path of constructive journalism. Calling upon the country’s journalist community to be patient, he said journalists collect information in various ways for professional reasons.
Except unpublished information, Quader said, they have opportunities to gather information applying proper procedures of the Right to Information Act but it must be considered whether the processes, followed by an experienced journalist, is accurate or not.
He also urged journalists to think whether it is logical to take side of journalist Rozina Islam before the truth comes out through a probe. 
The road transport minister said journalists perform their professional duties every day at the Secretariat and gather information but no one secretly takes photos of files or takes away documents.
“The concerned reporter admitted her mistakes too,” he added. Mentioning that nobody is above the law, Quader said, “Since the issue is under investigation, I don’t want to make any comment on it.”
The Detective Branch (DB) of police has already been given the responsibility to conduct an investigation into the matter and the government will not interfere to this end, he said.
The AL general secretary said although BNP has been raising imaginary allegations, the government in fact does not believe in repression. The BNP leaders are deliberately doing criticism against the government and the prime minister every day, but no BNP leader is harassed or arrested, he said.
Quader said that the Sheikh Hasina’s government always welcomes constructive criticism and respects freedom of journalism and public opinion. He said the BNP leaves polls in midway not respecting public opinion and even it insults people by not going to parliament after its men are being elected.
The government, he said, believes in free flow of information and freedom of media. Due to the liberal democratic attitude of the government, media have flourished largely in the country in recent times, he added.
Quader said the Ninth Wage Board has emphasised the interest of the journalists. He also lauded the role of the media in upholding the spirit and values of independence, flourishing the country’s democracy and building a non-communal Bangladesh.
Later in the day, the road transport and bridges minister joined an agreement signing ceremony through videoconferencing from his official residence.
Bangladesh Bridge Authority and a Spanish consulting firm signed the agreement to formulate a master plan for the Bridge Department to develop road communication networks in all regions of the country.
