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4 years ago

Online news portal registration begins next week

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The government has decided to start registering the online news portal from next week after examining the related papers.

Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud gave the information on Monday at a press briefing at his Secretariat office in Dhaka, reports BSS.

The minister mentioned that the government will take steps against the news portals which will not get registration.

The minister said a total of 3,595 news portals have applied for the registration. “The all applications were sent to the home ministry for investigation. Later, we held a meeting with the home, telecom and ICT ministries and urged the home ministry for expediting investigation,” he added.

“The home ministry has scrutinised the documents of several hundred online news portals . . . The government will give registration to online news portals from next week,” he said.

Hasan said online media will be introduced through maintaining proper process in future. None can launch any online news portal without registration, he added.

Hasan Mahmud also said discipline has been established in the electronic media sector following the government’s different steps.

The government will take actions if there is any irregularity in the sector, he added.

The minister said some television channels are airing foreign TV serials dubbed in Bangla which is not acceptable.

“So, the ministry has issued an order for TV channels to take the government’s approval to broadcast the dubbed serials. Many TV channels have already taken approval to run those serials. A preview committee has been formed to oversee the matter,” he added.

He said an additional secretary remained at the helm of the committee where eminent cultural personalities Mamunur Rashid and Begum Sara Zaker, director general or representative of Bangladesh Television, director general of National Institute of Mass Communication, representatives of Association of Television Channel Owners and Directors’ Guilt and Obhinay Shilpi Sangha are the members of the committee.

Hasan said airing Bangladeshi advertisements in foreign channels has been stopped. “Besides, the cable operators are maintaining the serial of the Bangladeshi TV channels as per their on air date. After putting Bangladeshi channels, the cable operators are keeping the foreign channels on the list,” he added.

“We have already taken initiatives for the betterment of mass media . . . these initiatives put media in order mostly,” he said.

The minister went on saying that the government gave license to the mobile companies to run mobile network only.

“But they are now creating video contents along with advertisements for the social media which is not acceptable. The government didn’t give any license to make video contents along with advertisement,” he said.

“We have already sent a letter to the telecommunication ministry to stop this. We are determined to bringing discipline in this sector and legal actions will be taken in this regard,” he added.

Replying to a question, Hasan said many newspapers, online news portals and television channels are showing video contents through their respective online media which is also not acceptable. “We are working to bring those media in order,” he added.

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