Abul Kalam Azad (politician, born 1939)

Abul Kalam Azad (born 1 March 1939)[1] is a Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Jamalpur-1 constituency. He is also a former information and cultural affairs minister of Bangladesh.[2]

For other people with the same name, see Abul Kalam Azad (disambiguation).

Abul Kalam Azad
আবুল কালাম আজাদ
Member of Parliament
for Jamalpur-1
Assumed office
25 January 2009
Preceded byM. Rashiduzzaman Millat
Ministry of Cultural Affairs
In office
16 September 2012 – 24 January 2014
Succeeded byAsaduzzaman Noor
Minister of Information
In office
6 January 2009 – 13 September 2012
Preceded byChowdhury Sajjadul Karim
Succeeded byHasanul Haq Inu
Personal details
Born (1939-03-01) 1 March 1939
NationalityBangladeshi
Political partyBangladesh Awami League

Career

From 2009 to 2012, Azad served as the Minister of Information.[3]

Controversies
Censorship

In 2009, when Azad was inaugurated as the minister of information, he promised journalists that the government would ensure right to information and freethinking in Bangladesh and sought "constructive criticism" from editors in the print and electronic media.[4] However, in 2010, he changed his stance and ordered that the government would enact a law to curb what he term "yellow journalism". Analysts say such laws were only enacted to curb the freedom of the press and dissident voices.[5] The Press Secretary to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Abul Kalam Azad, said "pornography has spread like a disease in Bangladesh".[6]

Intra-party feud

In 2015, Azad was sent a show cause order by his own party, the Bangladesh Awami League for working against party policy and supporting a rebel candidate.[3]

References
  1. "Constituency 138_11th_En". Bangladesh Parliament. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
  2. "Abul Kalam Azad". Dhaka Tribune. Archived from the original on 2 March 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
  3. "Notice for influence the administration". BD24Live. 28 December 2015. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
  4. "Info minister pledges free media". The Daily Star. 14 January 2009. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2016 – via Asia Media Archives.
  5. "Bangladesh to enact law to curb 'yellow journalism'". Zee News. Indo-Asian News Service. 1 July 2010. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  6. "Bangladesh Seeks Law to Criminalize Pornography". International Business Times. 2 January 2012. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
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