The OTT industry in Bangladesh can grow rapidly with a little less regulation and more facilitation, speakers at a webinar have said.
The government should aspire to create an environment where OTT platforms can effectively regulate themselves and content creators on the platforms are not muzzled.
The webinar, titled “OTT Guideline: International Best Practices,” was organized by Dhaka Tribune and BowerGroup Asia on May 31, 2022.
It was moderated by Dhaka Tribune Executive Editor Reaz Ahmad.
Reaz Ahmad, Executive Editor, Dhaka Tribune
If the government creates an environment where the industry can thrive and self-regulation is well-practised, then I think too much restriction will not be needed. The government should look for ways to help the industry grow instead of focusing on restrictions. We need a little less regulation and more facilitation from the state.
Claire Bloomfield, Director, Policy and Research, AVIA
We were looking at regulations as the market was starting to evolve as it did quite rapidly back in 2020. In Japan, no licences are required for the platforms. But they have put specific measures in place from a self-regulation perspective to specifically protect young people from online harm. No licence is required in Australia as well, and it’s a self-regulation system. They have developed an industry code with basic guidelines and classifications. We don’t want to have a need for advanced licencing. If a government or a regulator would like some registration, then let’s do it automatically. Don’t put red tape in front of people to stop the market from developing.
Sidhanta Mehra, Director, US-Bangladesh Business Council
We are now in the new phase of Digital Bangladesh. The last decade of growth and sustainability of increasing access to digital services and global services has been a critical part of the digital connectivity journey across Bangladesh. More than 65% of Bangladesh’s population is under the age of twenty-five and Bangladesh is more globally connected online than ever before. This digitally connected world is making sure that they have access to global services. It is an important piece of the puzzle that the BTRC has also opened its doors to make sure that there is a robust private-sector consultation period. we encourage that and we want to ensure that we as the industry are also partners in that process and give productive and constructive feedback.
Ambika Khurana, Director, Public Policy, Netflix
It is very important for all of us to understand how different online- curated content is from any other form of entertainment. It’s different from user generated content. It’s different from content that is screened in theatres and it’s very different from TV content or broadcast content. And thus, it is very important for each one of us to as industry, as governments, as thinkers and academicians to work collectively in coming up with the governance framework which is very specific to the demands and nuances of this particular sector.
Hossain Sadat, Senior Director, Public & Regulatory Affairs, Grameenphone
There is still room for further collaborations between the information ministry and the BTRC. This collaboration is very much needed. At the same time, through this process, we are also in the process of building our own understanding about those two government organs. They also need to run through this sort of discussion process to help build necessary understanding.
Sadia Khalid Reeti, Head of Showtime, Dhaka Tribune
Consumer behaviours are changing and they are going more into the OTT platforms. I have experience in the film festival and even they are going to the OTT platforms during this pandemic to screen their films as we cannot screen everything in the theatres now. The pandemic has also contributed to the boost the OTT services are seeing and also our shift in the consumer behaviour.
Sara Zaker, Vice Chairperson, Asiatic 360
We want to create good content on media and on the OTT platforms. I am also into acting and directing into this world of media. I can see the joy of working on OTT platforms and the scope they give to the actor. The amount of earning the artists are getting from it as opposed to working in a play, TV serial or on stage which pays nothing. So this is one very inspirational space for them in Bangladesh.
ANIMESH AICH, Film maker, actor, director and writer
I think this journey is very new in our country. We still need to do a lot of reviews and research since our government is accustomed to imposing a kind of censorship on our movies and dramas all the time. I think with the new law, they will want to control digital movies or content. If we don’t have an open mind like other countries in the world, then we must be able to publish our independent film.
Adar Rahman, Content Officer, Chorki
Every week we are releasing new Bangladeshi content and every week we self-censor the content and every week we feel pressured to screen something that may affect the whole platform even because of a single dialogue or a single word. We are really looking forward to OTT-friendly guidelines.
Amitabh Reza Chowdhury, Filmmaker & Managing Director, Half stop down
As an independent filmmaker, all I want is my security to have my creative freedom. And this guideline is not freedom of speech. I think the government should allow us to have some kind of dialogue about story, concept and entertainment. We need to start a conversation with the government.
Jude William Genilo, Head of the Media Studies and Journalism Department, ULAB
More entertainment programs would be consumed online through OTT platforms and a regulation such as the proposed OTT platform regulation might slow that growth.
Isha Rathnam, CLO (Director- legal Affairs), Lionsgate
When I say self-regulation, I mean an amicable understanding/co-existence between the regulator and the OTT platforms. Light touch regulation is the way forward, where a broad framework can be outlined by the regulators within which the OTT platforms can exercise self-regulation.
Souvik Dasgupta, Content Lead, Hoichoi Bangladesh
I think self-regulation is the best thing. As a company we are very much aware of our customers’ likings. We don’t want to hurt their emotion. Being a platform, I think we should honour that.
Sarder Saniat Hossain, CEO, Good Company Ltd - an Asiatic 360 content initiative
The law and guidelines should encourage investments and make life easy for the local players. That is the objective from this whole exercise.
Rafael Mahbub, Head of Digital Content Business, Grameenphone
We need to consider another part of the story that we are discussing: how these regulations are restricting our creativity or in the business. But the government or these regulatory bodies need to understand it as well.
Jyotirmoy Barua, Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh
For effective use of these media, the standard broadcasting policy should not be applied to online services. If we look into the characteristics of the regulation, we see the hidden agenda behind framing all these rules or regulations. What are the reasons? What are we seeing? We already have a serious authoritarian law which is called the Digital Security Act. And because of the application of the Digital Security Act, our freedom of expression and the freedom of press was at stake for the last couple of years. Now what we are seeing in chapter three of this regulation clearly puts all those restrictions which are similar to the restriction in the DSA.
Barrister Rashna Imam, Managing Partner, Akhtar Imam & Associates
The proposed regulation might muzzle the freedom and creativity of content creators. However, the public in general stands to be exposed to harmful content. Therefore, some sort of regulation is called for. But the question arises as to whether this is the sort of regulation that is ideal.
ASM Rafiq Ullah Romel, CEO, RabbitHole
We need a conclusive discussion or a workshop to make all the stakeholders understand what the real problem is. Normally in Bangladesh, we don’t live in a very content-friendly environment. It’s not only the government we are talking about. When we make any sort of content and if it goes against emotion or belief of any sect or society or a group of people, we are always jeopardized.
Ahad Mohammad Bhai, CEO, Bongo BD
In order for people to be creative and innovative, there has to be some level of flexibility. There must be some level of adaptiveness. There needs to be dialogue and open conversation between the different stakeholders, the regulatory framework, the government, the OTT platforms, and the content creators.
Armaan Ahmed Siddiqui, Executive Vice President, Robi Axiata Limited
If you think about Netflix, from Sacred Games to Thor, it’s the genre of that. You know that there is something you will not see in the movie hall. So that actually creates a problem because there are many feedbacks that go to the government agencies. Because of this side talks and mislead information to the regulators, we always face different kinds of bottlenecks.
Sakib R Khan, Country Director, Hoichoi Bangladesh
When the world says replace, people might think of replacing the conventional media. OTT is not here to replace anything. I believe it is a different platform.