Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu on Thursday said the government is going to formulate the Digital Security Act to ensure common people’s digital security, not to harass journalists.
“We’re going to enact the Digital Security Act to ensure the security of your digital information as well as the country’s security. It’s also meant for protecting country’s democracy and society as well,” he said.
The minister passed the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural session of the annual
conference of the district correspondents of United News of Bangladesh (UNB) at its Cosmos Centre conference room in the city.
Urging journalists to take the proposed digital security law positively, he assured them that it will bring no harm to them as it is going to be passed for the protection of the country’s people.
State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak made a presentation titled ‘Digital Bangladesh: A Story of Transformation’ at the programme.
Former Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique, UNB Chairman Amanullah Khan, its Editor-in-Chief Enayetullah Khan, Director Nahar Khan and Editor SAM Mahfuzur Rahman also spoke on the occasion.
About the media’s role, Inu said it creates and guards the nation’s conscience, and the main function of the media and journalists is to keep the process of honesty and equity active.
Stating that information is not a commodity at all, he said that is why one has the social responsibility in releasing information. “Due to your social responsibility, you shouldn’t publish any information that provokes communal riot. Democracy doesn’t allow incitement and creation of division among people in the name of criticism.”
“You can criticise if the government and the administration make any mistake. At the same time, you should also highlight the government’s successes, if there’s any,” the Information Minister told the journalists.
Terming the media a mirror of democracy, he urged the media people to work as vanguards of democracy. “If politicians make any mistake, the nation gets stumbled, but when media people make any error, the nation goes astray.”
Inu highlighted the history, tradition and values of Bangali nation saying that this nation had suffered from an identity crisis after the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975.
“If you can’t be non-communal, you can’t be a good journalist at all. If you become a non-communal person, you’ll be a good human being. And if you’re communal, you must die like a monster,” he said.
UNB Chairman Amanullah Khan focused on proper verification of information, crosschecking it and maintaining accuracy while filing reports. “The spread of fake news has recently taken an acute turn. We must check it. We also must prevent rumour and propaganda.”
