DHAKA, Feb 14, 2023 (BSS) - Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said the activities of Press Council will be strengthened further keeping consistency with time and online news portals will come under its purview. 

The minister was addressing a discussion marking the Bangladesh Press Council (BPC) Day organized by the BPC in city's Topakhana Road.

Earlier, the minister hoisted the national flag in front of BPC office.

BPC members Mozaffar Hossain Paltu, Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury and MG Kibria Chowdhury, among others, addressed the discussion with its Chairman Justice Nizamul Haque in the chair.

Hasan said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman wanted to root the foundation of a democratic society on the basis of justice and logic. For this, Bangabandhu had formed the Press Council to ensure accountability of the newspapers, he added.

He said Press Council is a judicial board and the main work of the organisation is to settle allegations if any person or organisation or group lodges any complaint against any news. 

The minister said Press Council has been playing a pivotal role in connecting people and readers with newspapers in the last 49 years of its journey. 

But today the mass media is not limited in only print media and there was no online news portals when the BPC was formed, said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.

For this, he said, the BPC could not play role in other sector without newspapers as per the act of the organization.

The minister said BPC members has finalized a draft act through discussion with stakeholders for strengthening it and to bring the online news portals and online versions of newspapers under its purview.

Most of the members of BPC are journalists, leaders of journalists' organizations and editors of newspapers and they finalized the draft, he added.

But after finalization of the draft and headed for legislation, he said, many are opposing the draft. Laws are amended to all countries, but in Bangladesh, when a law is brought up to date, one side stands against it, he added. 

The minister hoped that the real journalists will come forward in this issue.

He said discussions will clear the misunderstanding as the dignity and standard of the journalists will be upheld if the BPC is strengthened.

Highlighting the present situation, he said now anyone can open a Facebook and they can promote it as mass media. Everyone involved with those introduced themselves as journalists. Even, in the villages there are many fake online portals and this is the reality, he added.

For this, Hasan said, there is a lot of confusion about which the real media is and who the real journalist is. "These need to be addressed. The real journalists have no involvement with it. Journalists also want to get rid of them. This is also the demand of journalist organizations. I agree with their demand. For this, it is necessary to prepare a list of journalists," he continued.

The minister said the present government is media friendly. The mass media of Bangladesh are enjoying much freedom and it is an example before many developing countries, said Hasan.

BPC members Dr Utpal Kumar Sarker and Sebika Rani, among others, were present.