Law, justice and parliamentary affairs minister Anisul Huq has said a few laws will be tabled in parliament to stop creating confusion among people with false information and fake news.
He also asserted that the government will never shrink press freedom.
The minister said this in response to a supplementary question by Ruhul Amin Hawladar, a Jatiya Party MP, in the Jatiya Sangsad Sunday.
He was answering the question in absence of state minister for information and broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat.
However, the law minister did not clarify when and how many new laws will be proposed in the parliament.
In his question, Ruhul Amin Howladar said that many online media outlets spread fake news, misinformation and create unrest. He wanted to know whether there will be a law to ban them.
In response, law minister Anisul Huq said that freedom of speech and press freedom are included among the fundamental rights in the constitution. Laws will have to be legislated with that in mind and with due respect.
“A law is already there - the Cyber Security Act. I would like to inform the honourable member of parliament that the Cyber Security Act and some other laws will be tabled in this parliament through the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Through them, the government will take steps to stop creating confusion with false information and fake news, not to control. Alongside this, I would like to say that the government will not shrink the freedom of the press in any way.”
In response to the question of Mujibul Haque, chief whip of the opposition in parliament, law minister Anisul Huq said on behalf of the state minister for information and broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat that 208 online news portals and 168 online news portals of daily newspapers have been given registration certificates until January this year.
He also informed the House that currently the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has allowed registration to 213 online news portals, online portals of 196 daily newspapers and online news portals of 17 private TV channels.
This registration to online news portals is a continuous process. Registration will be given to more online news portals upon verification, Anisul Huq added.