2024-04-16 22:57:36
State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Muhammad Ali Arafat said that steps will be taken to stop unregistered and illegal online news portals.
He said this after exchanging views with the members of the Executive Committee of Online News Portal Association Bangladesh in the meeting room of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting at the Secretariat on Tuesday (April 16).
In this regard, the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting said that the government does not want to control and monitor the media. But I agree with the demands of the Journalists and Online News Portal Association that there needs to be some discipline. Since there is a process of registration it is very important to implement that process. I agree with you that there is a need to encourage and support registered online media to advance responsible journalists and journalism.
At this time, he said, journalists are saying that surveillance is needed for discipline. Media is so free and independent that it is running without registration and only professional journalists are talking about surveillance and control. This proves that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government believes in free media and complete freedom of media. However, because of the free freedom, there is also a lack of discipline.
‘Various types of defamatory misinformation are spread through unregistered portals. They have said that the spread of this misinformation is bothering various professional journalists besides the members of the Online News Portal Association. It is very good that our journalists want discipline in the media and development of responsible journalism. Here the government fully agrees with the journalists’ said the state minister.
Stating that the government believes in transparency and not in controlling the media, the state minister said that the government believes in responsibility and not in surveillance. We believe in free media and independent journalism. Spread of misinformation, rumors and disinformation undermines journalism, mass media, democracy. Government and media need a partnership to prevent them for the benefit of all.
State Minister for Information and Broadcasting also said that measures will be taken to modernize media advertising policies and other policies in a timely manner.
Online News Portal Association (ONAB) president Mollah M Amjad Hossain, vice president Latiful Bari Hamim and Soumitra Deb, joint editors Siddikur Rahman and Ashraful Kabir Asif, executive members Nazrul Islam Mithu, Tauhidul Islam Mintu, Rafiqul Basar, Hamid Md. Jasim, Mohsin Hossain, Ayan Ahmed and Khokon Kumar Roy were present.