<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud on Sunday said there is no credit in projecting the country negatively at home and abroad.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He urged all to positively uphold the country, refraining from spreading propaganda.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"It's the responsibility of the media to call it white if it is white, and to call it black if it is black," said the Minister.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He was speaking as the chief guest at a discussion at Jatiya Press Club hosted by International Relations Reporters Forum, Bangladesh.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Former State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, Spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Seheli Sabrin, International Relations Reporters Forum President Hasan Mahamud and General Secretary Mahamudul Haque Sujon also spoke at the event.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Foreign Minister said that the opposition is working overtime to project Bangladesh negatively.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He said that some of their “paid agents” spread propaganda that creates confusion among people.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Mainstream media need to work against those who spread propaganda," he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Foreign Minister referred to how the same group circulated propaganda centering the Padma Bridge and during the Covid-19 pandemic on vaccine issues.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Criticizing BNP for its call to boycott Indian products, Hasan said such politics does not bring any good for the country.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"There can be criticism but not at the cost of the country’s image," he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hasan appreciated journalists for their efforts despite the profession facing multiple challenges, reports unb</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Journalists work under pressure from multiple fronts. They are engaged in journalism as they love this profession. They are brilliant," he said.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/fas</div>