Destruction Looms within the Government's Home

Sachin Datta, a judge of the Delhi High Court, made the following statement on Monday (22nd May), 'The freedom of expression does not grant a license to anyone to character assassination through the publication of information. Freedom of expression does not include the freedom to attack or spread false propaganda.' This statement by Judge Datta is significant in the context of the controversial issue of the documentary titled 'India: The Modi Question.' He has summoned the BBC in a case related to this matter.

On January 17th, the BBC aired a controversial documentary in India on "Gujarat Violence", which directly implicated Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The documentary was highly biased and one-sided. The Indian government did not lodge any protest against the BBC. Instead, they issued a directive to remove the contentious documentary in strong terms. Facebook and YouTube swiftly removed the controversial documentary, considering it to be a provocative piece of content. However, the Indian government remained unsatisfied. The Income Tax Department conducted campaigns at BBC's Delhi and Mumbai offices within a month (February 14th). Lastly, on May 22nd, the Delhi High Court issued a summons against the individuals associated with the BBC on charges of spreading "hate and animosity" through the dissemination of the "disgusting and defamatory" documentary. This case represents a significant milestone in curbing the spread of hate and animosity in the field of information dissemination.

Approximately two years ago, a similar incident occurred concerning Bangladesh. On February 1, 2021, a fabricated, vindictive and untrue documentary was published by Al Jazeera regarding Bangladesh. The documentary under the title 'All the Prime Minister's Men' is forcibly linked to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. After the release of the documentary, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh sent a strongly worded protest letter to Al Jazeera. However, the Qatari-based television channel did not pay any attention to the protest letter. After the release of the documentary, various circles are using the documentary as a tool for propaganda against the government. Fragmented sections of that document are still being circulated in Facebook, YouTube, and other social media platforms. BTRC, the Ministry of Posts & Telecommunications have not even taken any initiative to remove this hateful, violent documentary from social media. India has done everything possible to protect the dignity of the institution of the 'Prime Minister' to protect the interests of the country. We have witnessed their tireless efforts. But our officials watched the joke. India has succeeded, but Bangladesh has not. Why? Those conspiring within the government whisper, "India is a much larger country. Can we compete with them considering their huge population?" Hearing this, it seems that they live on a distant planet. The Prime Minister of Bangladesh appears to be quite conscious of the dignity of his country, as evident from his recent statements. Despite being aware that the United States can "turn the tide" of power in Bangladesh, the Prime Minister is openly criticizing the most powerful nation in the world. This criticism is not against a nation, but rather for the sake of the country's own interests and dignity. Are the individuals holding various positions in the government not courageous and steadfast enough? They cannot afford to be because they are the conspirators themselves. 

While India has reined in arbitrariness in the name of expression, summoning influential media outlets of international repute like the BBC, Bangladesh's Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, kneeling down and greeting Facebook. On May 11, Jasad's scientific revolutionary held a meeting with the employees of Facebook. He praised the people of Facebook and treated them like sons-in-law. However, he has not taken any initiative to stop the offensive, hateful, and character-assassinating content against the state. According to published reports, Facebook has stated that it will not open an office in Bangladesh. It has also stated that content monitoring is not feasible. Posts and Telecommunications Minister is quite delighted even with these objections of Facebook in Bangladesh. "Facebook is currently holding up to 40 percent of requests," he said.

Bangladesh has become a hub of rumors primarily due to Facebook and YouTube. Not just rumors, social media has now become the main vehicle for spreading hatred against the state and government. The state and the government are constantly being vilified through social media. Social media platforms are fueling distortion and divisive celebrations in relation to Bangladesh. Today, Bangladesh is facing a terrible information terror and nasty attack by some cyber terrorists from the USA, Canada, France, and Paris in the name of Tarek Zia, the fugitive BNP leader in London. At first glance, these may appear to be anti-government propaganda. However, the way all this filth and obscene content is spreading through social media, it is polluting and becoming odorous throughout Bangladesh. Yet, the government and its relevant agencies are not taking any initiatives to stop these continuous indecent broadcasts. There is no headache. So, is there any secret communication between the cyber terrorists and government officials? This question arises because Sheikh Hasina, who is transforming under the attacks of cyber terrorists, and those who are working for the development of Bangladesh, are the only targets of the cyber terrorists. There is no voice against the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications through social media. A few days ago, I saw the announcement of a report against a state minister. But then no more reports. It was announced for a few days that a report was coming against a person who became the owner of several banks during the Awami League period. But the report did not come. I noticed a similar incident involving some influential businessmen suddenly becoming close to the government. Upon further investigation, it is revealed that there is a terrifying conspiracy behind it, aiming for complete destruction. The Awami League has been responsible for governing the country for the past 14 years. During this time, many businessmen have become incredibly wealthy. Nameless people have also become owners of thousands of crores of taka. Those who were not around during the bad times of Awami League are now standing around the power like femicles. All these infiltrators, sudden perpetrators of unlimited corruption, are smuggling billions of dollars abroad. They are contacting London to secure their looted assets in the future. Cyber terrorists are blackmailing them. As soon as the announcement is made to publish news against them, they are establishing contact with their associates abroad. They are shutting down all those news that expose their looted assets. Not only are they providing financial support, but they are also leaking highly sensitive information about the government to cyber terrorists. On the other hand, those hardworking entrepreneurs who have contributed to the country's development with their sweat and intellect are not falling into the trap of cyber terrorists. The lovers of the country, businessmen, and industrialists do not accept defeat from these vile manipulators. So, they have now become targets as well. Relentless distorted propaganda is now underway. The BTRC, Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications seems to be merely a spectacle. Those who were against Bangabandhu and the Liberation War in Ganakantho are now ministers in the current government. It is their responsibility to oversee the welfare of social media. At that time, they themselves used to spread false propaganda against Bangabandhu and his family on Ganakantho. And now social media gives way to ugly propaganda against Sheikh Hasina and her loyalists. They are conspirators. The Prime Minister's visits to Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom were important in terms of diplomacy and economy. An ancient state minister took a selfie with several other ministers and companions on the plane. It seems like they are going on a picnic. They shared the photo themselves on social media. Did they willingly provide cyber terrorists with weapons? Did he intentionally hand over weapons to cyber terrorists? Taking a photo of someone without their consent and sharing it on social media is inappropriate, unethical, and even more so is removing it from his ID after sharing it on social media. Not only this state minister, many such people are going as the Prime Minister's travel companions, they keep in touch with the anti-independence forces. They serve as a major source of information for cyber terrorists. They disseminate these photos and information with distorted colors and angles on Facebook and YouTube from abroad. Through social media, they engage in relentless defamation against the Prime Minister and the people she trusts, which is a punishable offense in any country. If anyone within the country participates in even a fraction of these activities, it falls under the jurisdiction of the Digital Security Act. But what if someone does it from abroad? The highest court in Bangladesh has ordered multiple times to block certain types of content. However, the BTRC (Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission) and the relevant ministry have stated that they have no control over Facebook and YouTube. I sometimes get confused. Who do the government-appointed ministers and officials actually represent? The government or the cyber terrorists? According to the laws of Bangladesh, Tarique Zia, a convicted fugitive, is prohibited from making any statements in public. But every day, this fugitive individual comes live and ridicules the state, the liberation war, and the government. He is organizing meetings, and spreading slander against the Prime Minister. Those who are not taking any action to stop such propaganda are disrespecting the court. Due to the influence of a rotten scientific socialist minister in the government, the BTRC (Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission) and the opposition party BNP-Jamaat have now taken control of social media. The embassies of Bangladesh abroad are also sitting with arms folded against cyber terrorists. Till date, I have not heard that the embassy of Bangladesh in the United States, United Kingdom, France, or Canada has requested the government of that country to take action regarding their activity. Far from filing a case against them, the embassies did not even protest against the filth. Just a few days ago, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a list of 22 names to various embassies. However, the embassies have shown no interest in the matter. Destruction is taking place within the government itself. Facebook has more than 50 million users in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is a huge market for Facebook and YouTube. It is very easy to bring them under the law. What is happening in Bangladesh now is similar to what happened in India and other countries. There have been allegations of racism, violent propaganda, and incitement of hatred spreading on Facebook and YouTube in various countries. Since its establishment in 2004, Facebook has faced numerous lawsuits in different countries. In almost all cases, Facebook has surrendered. Facebook is an American company. According to US law, if any defamatory information is published, it can be sued. If you lose a financial compensation case, you have to pay a huge amount of compensation. There was also a debate about who would pay the compensation for the case. But in a New York damages case, the court said Facebook could not avoid its liability. Facebook will have to pay compensation. The company has reportedly paid close to $8 billion in damages in the United States alone. The country that has been vocal against fake information, personal attacks, racism, hate crimes on Facebook, Facebook has been flexible towards them. Facebook has not voluntarily set up office in any country in the world. Did not pay taxes by self-motivation. Facebook has surrendered to the countries that strongly demanded Facebook to comply with their laws and regulations. In Brazil, a person posted a photo of a pregnant woman on Facebook. The woman filed a complaint against the individual for violating her personal privacy. The Brazilian court ordered Facebook to remove the photo as per the complaint. However, Facebook rejected the court's decision. Consequently, the court directed the government to instruct Facebook to suspend its activities if it failed to comply with the court's order. The government instructed Facebook to establish its own office in Brazil within one month. Within 21 days, Facebook set up its office in Brazil and they removed that photo too. A U.S. Senator referred to a Mexican minister as a drug trafficker in his statement. A Mexican citizen who immigrated to the United States gave a status on Facebook with this statement. The minister takes legal action, and the Mexican government takes a strong stance. Finally, the issue is resolved, and Facebook establishes an office in Mexico. Previously, a comment was made referring to Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, as a hub for sex business. The Thai government immediately banned Facebook. Within two days, Facebook seeks forgiveness and pledges to establish its own office in Thailand within three months. There are many similar examples. When Facebook or YouTube operates in a country, they must adhere to the laws of that country. Accountability is essential to ensure a response. As long as they do not come under accountability, they are out of touch. Facebook is a business organization. It earns billions of dollars annually from Bangladesh. Previously, they did not pay any VAT or taxes. Due to the initiative of the Prime Minister's ICT Advisor and the appropriate steps taken by the NBR, now Facebook is paying some VAT and taxes in Bangladesh. However, there are still allegations of a significant amount of tax evasion against the organization. In Bangladesh, a Digital Security Act is in place, but it is as ineffective as a paper tiger. It only causes harassment to the opposition, and it fails to control cyber terrorists. To control cyber terrorists, a data protection law is necessary. It exists in all developed countries. Recently, the largest democratic country in the world, India, is in the process of enacting the ‘Guidelines on Ethics in Digital Media Code’ as a law. The country's Minister of Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad, has stated, ‘This policy aims to make social media more accountable and responsible within its jurisdiction.’ According to these guidelines, any complaint related to cybersecurity must be addressed by Facebook, YouTube, or Twitter within 72 hours. Any objectionable content of this nature must be removed within 24 hours. ‘This policy of the Indian government has been welcomed,’ said Ajit Mohan, the Managing Director of Facebook in India. He expressed respect for India's law and stated, ‘There is no alternative to complying with it.’ While in India, the tech giants are being brought under scrutiny, the situation in Bangladesh is different, with their relevant ministries remaining silent. I have been hearing for a long time that the Ministry of ICT is working on the Data Protection Act. But it's not happening. Minister of State for ICT focuses on profitable projects. What are the benefits of making a law? Recently, the government has taken the initiative to create guidelines called "Regulation for Digital, Social Media, and OTT Platforms 2021" and sought opinions from stakeholders. Facebook has provided their opinion on this matter. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) is examining 45 opinions regarding the policy. Of these, 33 opinions are from Meta or Facebook. Those who do not have an office in Bangladesh, who are beyond the jurisdiction of the country's law, do they have the right to express their opinions? Why is there so much reluctance in the government, ministers and authorities in bringing Facebook, YouTube under the purview of the law? Is this for the sake of propaganda against the government and the state? Instead of opposing movements, they are confusing the people through the false propaganda of social media. Embarrassing the government. 

The outcry of some demons on social media have unsettled the people of the country. If Sheikh Hasina declares firmly that she will not buy anything from the country that imposes sanctions, why can't the ministers muster the courage to say that they will not allow anyone to do business in Bangladesh if they don't have offices here, including Facebook and YouTube? Why do the ministers feel embarrassed to send such a warning message to Facebook and Google? Or do they have some other hidden agenda?