He took part in the question and answer session of the budget session in the National Parliament on Sunday (June 7) and made a speech on the matter drawing the attention of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Zainul Abdin Farooq said that journalism cards are available in almost all upazilas and even at the union level of the country. But many have no formal education in journalism, none are reporters, and some have not even passed secondary school. In addition, various types of information are being disseminated without verification through various media including YouTube.He raised the question of who is issuing these journalism cards, what are their educational qualifications and who is using these identities—these issues need to be investigated. He said, the issue should be seriously considered by bringing the matter under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and making effective policies or decisions.
The member of Parliament also said that if these uncontrolled activities are not stopped, the credibility of the media will be damaged. At the same time, there is a danger that the country’s development and democratic environment will be hindered.
In response, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Yaser Khan Chowdhury said that the government is working against misinformation and disinformation. He said that those who are not registered journalists, mainly spread various types of wrong and misleading information on social media.The state minister also said that a special monitoring team has already been formed to prevent such inactivity. The team is monitoring the overall situation and working to bring those involved to justice. He also assured the parliament that the activities and scope of this monitoring team will be officially announced soon.
