Hannan Masud questions media freedom, govt says media 'most free'
The Noakhali-6 MP raises concerns over reports being removed and media outlets facing cyberattacks; state minister denies government interference.
Noakhali-6 lawmaker Abdul Hannan Masud has questioned whether the government is putting pressure on media outlets, while State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Yasser Khan Choudhury said the media currently enjoys more freedom than at any time in the past.
Hannan raised the issue during the question-and-answer session in parliament today (2 September), chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad.
Hannan alleged that several media outlets had removed reports involving the government or its ministers and that some had come under cyberattacks after publishing such reports.
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He cited an instance in which a statement involving the state minister for sports was published by several media outlets but later removed.
He also alleged that a report published by Daily Waadaa concerning the son of the home minister was taken down under pressure.
The lawmaker further claimed that Channel One came under a cyberattack after publishing a report involving Local Government State Minister Mir Shahe Alam, leaving the report inaccessible for an extended period.
Hannan asked whether the government was exerting pressure on or interfering with media outlets when they publish reports critical of the government or its ministers.
"Whenever news is published against the government or its ministers, we see incidents of cyberattacks and reports being removed. This has raised a question in people's minds – is the government strangling freedom of expression?" he said.
In response, Yasser, speaking on behalf of Information and Broadcasting Minister Andaleeve Rahman, said the media currently enjoys more freedom than at any other time.
"Under the direction of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, we do not want to control the media in any way, and we are not doing so," he said.
The state minister said decisions about which reports to publish or broadcast, and whether to remove them, are entirely the responsibility of the respective media organisations.
He said the government does not interfere in such editorial decisions.
Media outlets may also remove reports on their own if they later find that the reports were inaccurate or should not have been published, Yasser said.
