State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat today (January 12) said Bangladesh will be a non-communal and democratic state without any restrictions on freedom of expression.

The state minister, remarked through a message shared on X, formerly Twitter.

He said, “Bangladesh will be a non-communal state, a democratic state. There shall be free and unrestricted freedom of expression and information.”
 
“Those who do politics with a communal mentality want democracy for themselves, but they will not give democracy to others. Fundamentalist and radical groups want freedom of expression for themselves but not for others, which creates a serious problem for the progress of democracy in a society,” he said.
 
He also said, “Fundamentalism and bigotry are anti-democratic. First, fundamentalist and communal mentalities should be abandoned, and then democracy should be sought.”

Arafat is a two-time member of parliament, having been twice elected from the Dhaka-17 constituency as an Awami League nominee in the 11th and 12th parliaments respectively.

He entered the 11th parliament after winning a by-election on July 17 last year on the Awami League ticket.

He is also a member of the AL's central working committee.

BDST: 1847 HRS, JAN 12, 2024
MSK