Section 57 of the ICT Act must be repealed, says Toufique Imrose Khalidi

bdnews24.com’s Editor-in-Chief Toufique Imrose Khalidi says he opposes Section 57 of the ICT Act because it has been abused.

UK Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 9 Nov 2017, 05:16 AM
Updated : 9 Nov 2017, 05:16 AM

The abuse has sullied the legitimacy of the law, turning it into a black law, Khalidi said at an event in London on Nov 7.

The controversial ICT law has drawn criticism from media and rights activists who say the particular provision -- Section 57 -- effectively muzzles freedom of speech and expression.

Section 57 criminalises ‘publishing fake, obscene or defaming information in electronic form.'

The maximum sentence under Section 57 is 14 years in prison and a Tk 10 million fine. Offences are also non-bailable.

This has led to the incarceration of several members of the media due to allegations over reports, Facebook posts and other online activity.

Khalidi, the editor-in-chief of Bangladesh’s largest news publisher, was asked for his opinion on Section 57 by a London-based journalist at an event on 100 Years of Bengali Media in the UK at Queen Mary University.

Khalidi said that while he personally supported the spirit of the law, it had been tarnished by the abuse of ‘people in power’.

“I support the repeal of the law because the government has been unable to curb its misuse,” he said.

Khalidi also spoke on various aspects of journalism during the discussion.

"User-generated content is posing new challenges for us, the mainstream media,” he said.

“We do not see much responsible behaviour, which, in the long run, will affect social media user-generated content. Tougher regulations will restrict the unlimited freedom enjoyed by the rogue content creator with an aim to malign or defame individuals, institutions or even the faithful. Even the amateur citizen journalist with all the good intentions will suffer.”

There is absolutely no alternative to being careful and responsible in putting content online, regardless of where it is posted, he said.

“Or else, a curb on our freedom is on the cards!”

Khalidi also emphasised the importance of ensuring the veracity of news.

“It is more important to be accurate in releasing breaking news than to be swift. It doesn’t matter if that makes us second, third or even fourth. This is our strength.”

Like Bangla-language media in the UK, the mainstream Bangladeshi media is also facing a crisis in terms of finances, Khalidi said. The media landscape in Bangladesh is expanding.

“Thirty TV channels are being broadcast. Another 20 are preparing to launch. Each of them will carry news. No other country has this.”

“Everyone is scrambling for a piece of the pie, but the pie isn’t getting any bigger.”

Billions of taka are spent on advertising in the media and this involves corruption, said Khalidi.

“There is not enough ad revenue in the market for all the television channels, newspapers and online newspapers. This is due to corruption.”

“There are corrupt people in the media industry. It is difficult for the honest ones to survive.”

The event was organised by the London Bangla Press Club and the Tower Hamlets Council.

The first Bangla-language paper was distributed in the UK on Nov 1, 1916. The paper, Satyabani, lasted 14 months. Over 100 other Bangla papers have been printed in the UK since. The UK also has Bangla television channels and, in recent years, has seen the rise of Bangla online newspapers.