Cabinet Approved The Draft ‘National Broadcasting Policy, 2014’

The approval was given at the regular weekly meeting of the cabinet held at Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

After the meeting, Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan briefed reporters. He said the cabinet approved the policy to ensure development and better performance of mass media so that they could extend effective services to the people and the government could play the role of a facilitator.

"The cabinet thinks that it is a comprehensive policy which would be good for the media industry and the country as well," he said.

To draft the policy, the cabinet secretary said, a committee headed by the information secretary was formed with maximum members from mass media, NGOs and other professional bodies which held consultations with various stakeholders before compiling the draft.

"It also constituted a sub-committee which later submitted its report to the main committee," he said, adding inputs that were gleaned through a workshop to this end were incorporated in the draft policy.

Bhuiyan said the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Information Ministry showed interest in this regard, reviewed the draft and gave their recommendations before its finalization.

The cabinet secretary said the policy would come into effect through a gazette notification and would be applicable to both the government and private media.

He said the policy would be implemented gradually through an independent broadcasting commission. "The commission which would be a statutory body would be formed soon and it would play the big role in issuing licences (of media) ," he said.

The commission would be constituted through a law and its chairman and members would be selected through a search committee, comprising members of mass media and other professional bodies.

The independent commission will formulate necessary rules and regulations to implement the policy, he said, adding the Information Ministry will implement the policy until the formation of the independent commission.

The main features of the policy include upholding the spirit of the Great War of Liberation, protecting the country's own language, culture and values as well as broadcasting the development news.

Besides, special programmes on the national events like the birthday of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on March 17, the National Mourning Day on August 15, International Mother Language Day on February 21, Independence and National Day on March 26, and the Victory Day on December 16 will have to be aired in a befitting manner.

The national broadcasting policy restricts the airing of any programme ridiculing the national ideals and objectives, undermining the people, tarnishing the unity and solidarity of Bangladesh as an independent state.

It also prohibits the broadcasting of the programmes which will create separatism and unrest in the country as well as create hatred among different castes, creeds and religions.

No news or programme would be allowed to air which will harm personal privacy, impede the state security and hurt religious values and non-communal spirit.

The policy restricts news or programmes in favour of any country which would be harmful to other countries as well as affect the relations with the friendly countries.

The news which can encourage mutiny, anarchy, and violent acts as well as inspire corruption directly or indirectly will have to be avoided.

No news or programmes ridiculing the Armed Forces and the law-enforcement agencies would be allowed to air.

While airing advertisements, the media will have to give attention to the quality of goods and protect rights of the consumers side by side with the spirit of the War of Liberation and the country's language and culture. They will also have to give attention to the rights of the children and women.

The cabinet secretary said the second quarterly (April-June) report of 2014 regarding the implementation of the decisions taken in the cabinet meeting was placed before the cabinet today.

The meeting was apprised of the visit of a Bangladesh delegation led by the expatriates welfare and overseas employment minister to Sweden, Denmark and Switzerland from May 12-23.

Besides, the participation of a Bangladesh delegation led by environment and forest minister in a conference titled "Our Ocean" held in Washington in the United States on June 16-17 and the participation of the state minister for information and communication technology in a conference titled "Ministerial Forum on ICT" held in Singapore on June 16-17 were apprised.

Ministers and state ministers concerned attended the meeting, while secretaries concerned were present.

-Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)