Dhaka, Feb 5 (UNB) – Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Monday termed regrettable the incident of long imprisonment of an innocent person, Jaha Alam, in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
“It’s unfortunate that Jaha Alam suffered imprisonment without committing any crime. He had to undergo three years of imprisonment mistakenly,” he said.
The minister came up with the remarks while exchange views at the Secretariat with the representatives of Directors Guild, an organisation of television drama makers in Bangladesh.
Mentioning that the ACC authorities have already admitted their mistakes, Mahmud said the anti-corruption watchdog launched an investigation into the incident.
He hoped that the ACC will take the due action against those responsible for the incident as an innocent person had been in jail for three years for the anti-graft body’s mistake. “ACC is not under the government as it’s a constitutional body.”
Jaha Alam, a jute mill worker, had been languishing in jail since February 2016 in 26 corruption cases in place of the real accused. He was released from Kashimpur Central Jail-2 in Gazipur early Monday following a High Court order.
He was arrested in cases filed by the ACC for misappropriating huge Sonali Bank money while the real accused, Abu Salek, is roaming free.
Talking about the advertisement industry, Mahmud said though there are many smart and talented artistes in the country, some advertisements are being made abroad to air here, depriving the local artistes.
He said a law was formulated in 2016 incorporating the provision of taking permission from the authorities concerned for airing foreign advertisements in the country. “But many people are not abiding by the law.”
The minister said they have taken steps to enforce the law.
He said after the launching of the private televisions in the country in the hands of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, electronic media has now expanded remarkably. “Besides, we’ve improved greatly in the field of making quality dramas as we’ve brilliant directors.”
He urged the representatives of Directors Guild to focus on improving the quality of dramas further.
