Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Sunday said the online versions of newspapers and news portals cannot broadcast talk shows and news bulletins as per the law.
"The leaders of Association of Television Channel Owners Association (Atco) have recently brought the issue to our attention that online versions of some newspapers and news portals are airing talk shows and even some are broadcasting news bulletins which have no permission,” he told reporters at the Secretariat.
“We've looked into the Act. According to the provisions of sub-sections 2, 4 and 6 of Section 2 of the Online Media Policy Act, they cannot air such items," the minister added.
Hasan said that video clips related to news would not violate the rules in the digital era. But, the policy does not approve the airing of talk shows or news bulletin.
He said the registration of online versions of newspapers without investigation was given on the condition that the news published in print version will be published in the online version and it should not be different.
The minister said that his ministry would inform the concerned media by mentioning the section and sub-sections of the Act if the Atco leaders present their written allegations.
In response to a query over Khaleda Zia's health issue, Hasan said he hopes that the BNP leaders would pay attention to her recovery as she had recovered earlier also. The demand for sending her abroad is political and they raised the demand earlier too, he added.
Replying to a query over the budget issue, he said it is 14th consecutive budget of the government and earlier 13 budgets were placed. And it is seen that some well-known persons and organizations had always made negative comments in the last 13 and a half years, said Hasan, also the Awami League joint general secretary.
He said the budget the government inherited was less than Tk80,000 crore and now it has been increased eight to nine times and stood at Tk678,064 crore.
“The per capita income has also increased about five times and it now stands at $2,824 while the rate of poverty has decreased bellow 20% from 41% and the rate of extreme poverty has dropped to about 10%,” he added.
This is the reality though some identified persons, organizations, BNP and their friends did never praise, he said. "Then how did the country forward ahead in the last thirteen and a half years?" he questioned.
Terming the budget pro-poor, Hasan said about Tk90,000 crore has been given as subsidy and allocation in social security, subsidy in agriculture, power and gas are for common people have been increased.