According to State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Muhammad Ali Arafat, the government seeks a free media environment that is devoid of rumors, misinformation, and disinformation to guarantee the free flow of reliable information and hold the government responsible.

At a meeting with leaders of the Association of Television Channel Owners (ATCO) at his ministry's conference room at the Bangladesh Secretariat here, he said, "We want disinformation and rumour free mass media along with ensuring full freedom of the press."

The government wants to ensure the space for mass media to question and criticize the authorities and even the government, but it (criticism) must have to be based on factually correct information, Arafat said.

The mass media also must have a room for the government to reply to those questions and criticisms, he added.

The ATCO leaders led by its Senior Vice President and DBC Chairman Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury met Arafat to welcome him on his appointment as the state minister for information and broadcasting.

The ATCO executives gave the state minister a bouquet as the program began.

Arafat stated during the new government's first cabinet meeting that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had given the members instructions to consider and fix the criticism of the government's faults and failures based on accurate facts.

Although the state minister noted that the partially true information seemed more hazardous than fake information, the premier did not object to the criticism but insisted that it be based on legitimate facts.

The Prime Minister, however, instructed the cabinet members to remain aware so the criticism, based on malicious intention, ill-motive and agenda-driven, could not affect the government activities and asked them to continue works for the interest of the country and its people, Arafat continued.

He sought suggestions from the journalist community and other stakeholders on whether any structure can be formulated to bring the disinformation under accountability, he said.


He said, "And, we will reply to those," indicating that it is expected that the media will hold the government accountable and call attention to its errors and failings.
"Simultaneously, I want cooperation from you on how we together can bring into accountability the ill-efforts of spreading misinformation and disinformation using mass media or other platforms under a solid structure," he said.

He mentioned how crucial it is for democracy and advancement to have unrestricted access to knowledge, freedom of expression, and the press, and how detrimental it is for misinformation to proliferate.

If any news on government mistake or failure is printed on the first page of the newspapers or in any other pages or it comes in the headlines of any electronic media, Arafat said, "I will request the media authorities to circulate the rejoinder replying to that report given by the concerned authorities on the same place so that the people can reach a decision from the both views".

Referring to misuse or abuse of mainstream and social media, he put emphasis on building some institutions to bring discipline in the media as the mass media witnessed a quick expansion on a large scale in the last 15 years.

"But we have to remain cautious so that the efforts of bringing misinformation and disinformation under accountability cannot overstep on the space of freedom of expression and the freedom of the press," Arafat said.

However, criticism can never be made on the country, national flag, national anthem, the Liberation War and the number of martyrs in the Liberation War, he said, adding, these are anti-state activities.

In the meeting, the ATCO leaders placed different proposals for the expansion and betterment of the electronic media while the state minister assured them of taking realistic steps to this end.

DBC Chairman Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury proposed establishing a separate press council to regulate the electronic media like the Bangladesh Press Council.

Nagarik TV Director Nabidul Haque, Boishakhi TV Deputy Manager Titu Alam Milan and NTV Director Md Ashfaq Uddin Ahmed, among others, were present at the meeting.

End/voice7news.tv