Play store
The High Court has directed the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) chairman to take necessary legal action against unregistered online news portals and social media pages involved in spreading rumours, false and misleading information.
The order was passed on Tuesday (September 15) by a High Court bench comprising Justice Rajik-Al-Jalil and Justice Debashish Roy Chowdhury after hearing a writ petition filed in the public interest.
The court also issued a rule asking why the authorities’ inaction in taking action against such unregistered online portals and rumour-spreading pages should not be declared illegal and why appropriate measures should not be ordered against them.
The writ petition sought directions to the relevant authorities to take effective steps to prevent the dissemination of rumours, false information and misleading content through unregistered online news portals and various social media pages.
Advocate S M Zulfikar Ali Junu, chairman of the National Lawyers’ Council and the petitioner, appeared for the writ petitioner during the hearing.
Following the hearing, the High Court directed the BTRC chairman to take necessary measures against the platforms concerned and issued the rule to the respondents.
The order comes amid growing concerns over the spread of misinformation and fake news through unregistered digital platforms and social media.