BNP says monitoring cell will serve death blow to Bangladesh media

The BNP has opposed government plans to set up a media monitoring centre saying it will serve as a death blow to Bangladesh’s media.

The Awami League government has been trying different means to control media, said Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, BNP’s senior joint secretary general, at a press brief on Thursday. 

“They decided to set up a media monitoring cell to impose greater control over it,” he said. 

“It is almost like a death blow. I condemn this act on behalf of the BNP and urge the government to reconsider its decision.” 

Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, while answering a question in Parliament about what measures were in place to stop the spreading of ‘misleading information’, spoke of plans for a monitoring cell. 

Its job, he said, would be to keep eye on news published in various mass media outlets. 

“The draft National Broadcast Policy has already been released. There is now a way to use the press council for stifling mass media,” said Rizvi. 

“There is even an all-out attempt to control foreign media for the sake of growth of local media… these are not good signs.”

It was because the government is trying desperately to save itself from being branded abusive and corrupt, he said. 

As for the information minister, he said, “No one expects Inu to deliver a law that is friendly towards the people… because he began his life in politics with anti-political actions and violence.”