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The government has no intention of controlling the media, Information and Broadcasting Minister Andaliv Rahman told US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T. Christensen.
The US ambassador met the minister at his office at the Secretariat on Wednesday. During the meeting, they discussed media freedom, freedom of expression and the Cyber Security Act, among other issues.
Andaliv Rahman said the government was taking necessary measures with “responsible and honest intentions” while upholding media freedom and the right to freedom of expression.
He said the current government was working not only to run the state but also to bring positive changes to the country’s political culture. In this regard, he cited the example of Bangladesh Television (BTV) broadcasting news about the opposition.
The minister said the government was committed to maintaining an environment conducive to freedom of expression and independent media. At the same time, necessary measures would be taken to prevent the spread of defamatory statements, misinformation and disinformation on social media and other platforms.
The US ambassador stressed the importance of engaging with stakeholders on the issue.
Information and Broadcasting State Minister Yaser Khan Chowdhury also stressed the need for effective initiatives to combat misinformation and disinformation and for work on the use of artificial intelligence in this regard. He said ordinary people suffer the most from misinformation and disinformation.
Referring to the creation of fake accounts on social media for spreading propaganda, he said effective measures were needed to ensure that citizens feel safe while using such platforms.
The meeting also discussed various issues of mutual interest between Bangladesh and the United States.
The US ambassador said relations between Bangladesh and the United States were continuously strengthening and expanding in areas including trade and business.
Referring to continued US economic assistance for the Rohingya community, he said the United States was also providing special support to prevent infectious diseases in the health sector among the Rohingya.
The information minister said, “Our experience over the past 17 years was not good. However, the current government is working with honest intentions to bring positive changes to the running of the state.”
State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Yaser Khan Chowdhury was present at the meeting.
