Publishing video clips related to news doesn't violate rules: Information Minister

Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud on Sunday said according to the law, the online version of newspapers and news portals cannot broadcast talk shows and news bulletins, reports news agency BSS.

“The leaders of Association of Television Channel Owners Association (ATCO) have recently brought the issue to our attention that online versions of some newspapers and news portals are airing talk shows and even some are broadcasting news bulletins which have no permission. We’ve looked into the act. According to the provisions of sub-section 2, 4 and 6 of second section of the online media policy act, they cannot air such items,” he said.

The minister said while talking to newspersons at the meeting room of his ministry at Secretariat in the capital.

Hasan said that video clips related to news would not violate the rules in the digital era. But, the policy doesn’t approve the airing of talk shows or news bulletin, he added.

He said the registration of online versions of newspapers without investigation was given on the condition that the news published in print version will be published in online version and it should not be different.

The minister further said that his ministry would inform the concerned media by mentioning the section and sub-sections of the act if the ATCO leaders present their written allegations.

Replying to a query over budget of FY23, he said this was 14th consecutive budget of the government. It is seen that some well-known persons and organisations had always made negative comments in the last 13 and a half years, said Hasan, also joint general secretary of ruling Awami League.

He said the budget the government inherited was less than Tk 80,000 crore and now it has been increased eight to nine times and stood at Tk 678,064 crore. Per capita income has also increased about five times and it now stands at US $2,824 while the rate of poverty has decreased below 20 per cent from 41 per cent and the rate of extreme poverty has dropped to about 10 per cent, the minister added.

This is the reality though some identified persons, organisations, BNP and their friends never praised, he said. “Then how did the country move forward in the last 13 and a half years?” Hasan Mahmud questioned.

Terming the budget as pro-poor, information minister said about Tk 90,000 crore (900 billion) has been given as subsidy and allocation in social security, subsidy in agriculture, power and gas have been increased for common people. Anyone can see by searching Google that the inflation in the country is less than many European countries in view of the Covid-19 and war, he added.

He said they are making such statements to create confusion among the countrymen. Even, the CPD has not been able to appreciate the budget for once in the last 13 years while BNP writes a statement before the budget. On the other hand, the World Bank, IMF and the United Nations praise the budget of the country as the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina make the budget for the common people, he added.

Replying to another query over Begum Khaleda Zia’s health issue, Hasan said he hopes that the BNP leaders would pay attention to the recovery of her as she had recovered earlier also. The demand of sending her abroad is political and they raised the demand earlier too, he added.

Later, the minister unveiled the cover of the sixth edition of the book ‘Sheikh Hasina o Ghure Daranor Bangladesh’ compiled by Shamim Ahmed.