Dhaka, June 26 -- Land and Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs State Minister Barrister Mir Mohammed Helal Uddin on Friday said the previous "fascist" government had deprived the country's youth of opportunities to appreciate and engage in the arts over the past 17 years, while the current government under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is giving due importance to sports, culture and artistic practices.

"We want the country's young people to be enlightened through arts and culture," he said while exchanging views with young artists after visiting the concluding day of the art exhibition titled 'Odhikarer Songram' (The Struggle for Rights) at the National Art Gallery of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.

The state minister said the artworks create...