Online Desk:  State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat on Thursday said that the current government always welcomes constructive criticism.

The government just wants to challenge misinformation and disinformation with true information, he said.

The state minister said this in an interview with visiting German journalists at his ministry office in the Bangladesh Secretariat this noon.

The journalists included Richard Beil, Michael Stang, Susann Kreutzmann, Aljoscha Hartmann, Julia Theres Held, Natalie Mayroth and Benjamin Bernd Thomas.

Asked about Bangladesh’s recent reaction over Reporters Without Borders’ (RSF) latest report and ranking on Bangladesh’s press freedom released in 2023, Arafat said, “I did not criticise the report and ranking published on the RSF website, but presented factual information as the report is available on the website till 2024.”

The RSF report contains a lot of wrong information, he said, adding, “In response, I have presented the facts to the media with evidence and sent a letter to the RSF in this regard.”

“Our intention is to uphold the truth to the RSF and re-evaluate the ranking,” he said.

He also said that some people criticise the activities of the government with bad intentions. The current government always welcomes constructive criticism, he added.

“When the media criticises the government with proper evidence, it helps the government. But criticising something with wrong information does not help anyone,” Arafat said.

He further added that the government had enacted the Digital Security Act to keep people safe from the digital world. “As it was criticised for its misuse, the government changed it to the Cyber Security Act. This is the beauty of the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Her government always adjusts and changes everything according to demand,” he said.

Regarding Rohingya refugees, Arafat said that Bangladesh has shown maximum generosity to the Rohingyas. Now, they have become a burden for a densely populated country like Bangladesh. So, Bangladesh wants their safe return to their home country with dignity, he added.