The Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP) has withdrawn its earlier public notice that issued a 48-hour ultimatum to unregistered online news portals, following widespread criticism.
SMP Commissioner Abdul Quddus Chowdhury on Thursday morning signed a fresh press release officially cancelling the earlier notification numbered CTSB/SMP/2501.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media) Manjur Ahmed of SMP confirmed the matter to Dhaka Tribune.
Earlier on Wednesday evening, Commissioner Abdul Quddus Chowdhury had announced a 48-hour ultimatum requiring unregistered online news portals to cease operations. The notice also urged the public to refrain from sharing, liking, commenting on, or circulating content published by such platforms on social media.
The withdrawn notice stated that, under the National Online Media Policy 2017 (amended in 2020), registration is mandatory for operating online news portals. It further alleged that some unregistered platforms have been publishing false, misleading, baseless, defamatory, and propaganda-driven content against the state and government, which could mislead the public and harm Bangladesh’s image globally.
The notice further stated that, under the circumstances, unregistered online news portals operating from domestic or foreign domains must be removed within 48 hours of the issuance of the public notification (by 6:00 PM on May 1, 2026). It warned that failure to comply would result in strict legal action. It also requested the general public of Sylhet City to refrain from publishing, sharing, liking, or commenting on any news content from such portals on social media.
Following the circulation of this public notice issued by the SMP Commissioner on Facebook, it drew widespread criticism.
Subsequently, the notice issued in the evening was withdrawn by the SMP Commissioner the following morning.