It has been almost a year since the Bangladesh government cleared a separate media policy with a provision for online media to be regulated by the broadcast commission.
The National Mass Media Online Policy-2017 got the green light on Jun 19 last year and a little over a month later, the information ministry issued the official order for it.
But eleven months later, the broadcast commission, which will be also responsible to regulate radio and television, is yet to be formed.
The government says the process is on and it will be formed ‘soon’.
The policy stipulated that until a regulatory body was formed, the information ministry will be in charge of regulating online media.
The ministry has a list 1,800 online news outlets operating in Bangladesh.
Sources say three intelligence agencies are working on background checks of the pending applications by online news outlets. The process of registration will begin after the home ministry forwards the findings to the information ministry.
Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam says the commission will be formed only after the formulation of the National Broadcast Act.
“The Act will stipulate the details of the broadcast commission— how it will be formed,” he said before adding the commission will prepare a ‘code of guidance’ for online media.
“Anyone who feels offended by the online contents including news, data, pictures can appeal to the commission and the matter will be disposed of within 30 days,” said Senior Secretary Alam.
Institutionalisation of online media is imperative to ensure freedom of speech, according to Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu, who says the policy will safeguard journalists.
“The people will largely benefit once the policy is implemented,” he told Bangla Tribune.
Saif Islam Dilal, who runs the online version of Dhaka-based Ekushey TV, says unlike the print newspapers, online media does not get government advertisements.
“This is a key revenue-generating issue and it needs to be solved.”
According to the National Online Media Policy 2017, the commission will be empowered to frame the guidelines for issuing licences to broadcasters.
The commission will also make recommendations to the government for giving licences to television, radio, internet TV or other digital broadcast stations and it will issue licences upon the government's approval.
The commission would be able to take action against online media outlets if they violated the code of conduct and breached discipline.
The commission will also have the authority to take measures against any online media outlet if any of its contents pose a threat to security, territorial integrity, peace, public order and unity of the country; if it is vulgar, false and malicious or if it is against the spirit of the Liberation War and distorts national history.
Online outlets have to run all government-endorsed important national programmes and information.
These include addresses by the head of the state, emergency weather report, health bulletin, government press notes, and government-approved important national programmes.
Online media will have to follow the wage board rules and pay their employees through banks.
Language, scene or direction of the advertisements – published, publicised or broadcast – must not be hurt religious or political feelings. But pictures or images that do not offend the religion can be published.
Any individual or organisation uploading written or multimedia contents in Bangla, English or any other language via the internet from Bangladesh will be defined as an online media outlet.