Info Minister had sworn to father not to smoke

Senior Correspondent: Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said that he had sworn to his father not to smoke in his life.

He said, “I, myself didn’t take tobacco in my entire life as I promised to my father that I would not take tobacco.”

He also urged the young generation to stay away from tobacco to live a healthy life.

The Minister said this while speaking at a meeting at an auditorium of Jatiya Press Club on Friday.

Association for the Prevention of Drug Abuse (MANAS) organised the meeting, marking the World No Tobacco Day with its founder president Dr Arupratan Chowdhury in the chair.

The Minister also urged BNP and other political parties to criticise the government in a constructive way instead of mocking themselves by doing typecast criticism of the government.

“We always welcome constructive criticism. Please make useful criticism,” he said.

State Minister for Cultural Affairs Ministry KM Khalid and Acting Secretary of Youth and Sports Ministry Dr Md Jafar Uddin addressed the meeting as special guests.

The organisers accorded a reception to Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud and eminent film actor and lawmaker Akbar Hossain Pathan (known as Faruque) for not doing smoke.

Hasan, also the publicity and publication secretary of the ruling Awami League, said, “Bangladesh is now a food-surplus country….But a quarter can’t see the success as it is always engaged in conspiracy.”

He said Bangladesh which was once a food-deficient country, has become food-exporting country though now it is the home to 160 million people.

Mentioning that Bangladesh is moving ahead indomitably under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he said, “Bangladesh has emerged as a unique example of development before the world community.”

risingbd/Dhaka/May 31, 2019/Naymuddin/AKA