Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu on Thursday said, the government does not intend to control the media nor it is working in this line. A committee is just working to update the 1973 law. “A government committee was “working secretly” to revive the provision of a law empowering to cancel declarations of newspaperson the ground of publishing anti-state news or contents hurting religious sentiments, a move is on to update the 1973 law, the Information Minister said.” He said this in a press conference in the conference room of PID at the Secretariat on Thursday.”The Deputy Commissioners wanted to get the control of cancelling declaration of newspapers and media houses. But the government has directly turned down their proposal,” Inu said.”The Department of Film and Publication recommended for giving the newspapers and media cancellation power to DCs. The Ministry did not agree with them,” the Minister said. “The law (Printing Presses and Publications (Declaration and Registration) Act, 1973) was formulated about 41 years ago. Since then, the media landscape and dynamics underwent changes with the development of various technologies,” the Minister said. The Minister’s statement came after newspaper reports that a committee was working “secretly” on reviving the provision of cancellation of newspaper declaration though Inu publicly kept claiming there was no such move.The existing law’s sections relates to inspection and supply of copies of the declaration fees and other fees, and ownership should be changed now, Inu said.Inu said that a draft on the amended law would be formulated and put on online for comments from all stakeholders. The draft would be finalised after holding discussions with all stakeholders, he added.On January 1, the Information Ministry formed an eight-member committee headed by an additional secretary to review laws related to printing and publishing and recommend necessary changes to make them suited to the times.At the committee’s first meeting held on February 24, it was decided to update the Printing Presses and Publications (Declaration and Registration) Act 1973.On March 18, the Prime Minister’s Press Secretary AKM Shamim Chowdhury, member of this committee and former DG of DFP, sent the draft of the amended law from DFP to the Ministry. The committee discussed the draft at its second meeting on April 28.The draft stated that the District Magistrate could cancel the publication of a newspaper on ground of any anti-state or anti-religious content. The Information Ministry or the court would implement this. The authorities of the accused newspaper would have the opportunity to defend themselves and submit an appeal within 60 days of the order.From 1974 till 1990 the publication of several newspapers was cancelled. Then in 1991 Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed annulled this clause.
