DHAKA, Sept 15, 2021 (BSS)- Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said registration of online news portals is a continues process and the directive of the High Court on this issue is helpful in bringing discipline.
 
“Registration of online news portals is an ongoing process. And there is no rule that any online news portals or newspapers will not be published in future except the existing registered news portals or newspapers,” he told newsmen at his office at Secretariat.
 
Hasan said the order of the High Court is very much crucial in this regard. Those online news portals, which are not performing their jobs appropriately and publishing untrue and false news, spreading rumours for  assassination of others characters, are not acceptable, he added.
 
“The order will be helpful in this regard,” he said.
 
He said his ministry will close some online news portals within the stipulated time after getting written copy of the court. “At the same time, we will present the issue to the court that it is an ongoing process and registration is going on through a process. We will also produce before the court that closing all the news portals without scrutiny in together is how much logical,” said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.
 
Earlier, the minister joined a function of unveiling the cover of the book ‘Sheikh Hasina’ke Nibedito Ekguccha Kabita’ translated in Turkish language through online organised by Peace a-Harmony.
 
In his speech, he said Bangabandhu’s daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is playing a unique role for establishing peace and harmony not only in Bangladesh, but across the globe.
 
He said the world media recognised her as the ‘Mother of Humanity’ for giving shelter to Rohingya refugees.
 
Turkey Ambassador to Dhaka Mustafa Osman, Asia Pacific Institute of Ankara Director Dr M Nazmul M Nazmul Islam, poet Azizur Rahman Aziz, poet Anis Mohammad and poet Izfandior Arion, among others, addressed the function with Muktijuddha Academy Trust Chairman Dr Abul Azad in the chair.
 
Replying to another query over a comment of BNP leader Rizvi Ahmed, the minister said it is a question that why BNP has inclination to foreign countries. “They rush to embassies when anything happens in the country and when anyone suffers from fever they want to send him or her abroad. Why they incline to foreign countries,” said Hasan.
 
He said Begum Khaleda Zia didn’t get any bail from court. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has shown her unprecedented generosity to Begum Zia by releasing her (Begum Zia), who is a convicted accused for embezzling the money of orphans, he added.
 
For this, Hasan said, they (BNP) should give thanks to the Prime Minister.