HC asks to shut down unregistered news portals in 7 days

The High Court on Tuesday ordered the government to shut the country's all unregistered online news portals within a week.

The virtual bench of Justice Md Mojibur Rahman Mia and Justice Md Kamrul Hossain Molla passed the order after a hearing on the supplementary petition in a writ in this regard.

The secretary of the Information Ministry and others concerned have been asked to implement the order within seven days after receiving its copy.

Advocates Zareen Rahman and Rashida Chowdhury Nilu stood for the writ in the court while deputy attorney general Barrister Nouroz Md Russel (MR) Chowdhury for the prosecution.

Earlier on August 16, the same HC bench in a primary hearing on the writ petition issued a rule asking why the unregistered online news portals should not be closed.

On the day, the court directed the secretary of the Information Ministry, BRTC chairman, Press Council chairman, and other concerned to respond to the rule within seven days.

On May 5, a legal notice was served on those concerned seeking making 'code of ethics' for the newspapers to publish any kind of news, including sensitive ones.

Lawyers Jarin Rahman and Rashida Chowdhury Nilu filed the writ in HC as the information secretary, BTRC chairman, and Bangladesh Press Council chairman did not take any measure despite a legal notice was sent to them.

It was said in the writ petition that a case was lodged for incitement to suicide under Section 306 of the Penal Code over the body recovery of a teenage girl, 21, in the capital recently.

Centering the incident, the newspapers, especially online portals, published news in an unacceptable way but BTRC or Press Council did take no step to stop these.

In this situation, it has become urgent to make code of ethics by Bangladesh Press Council in case of presenting news, and alongside, bring the unregistered news portals under registration by BTRC, the writ said.

FH/SU