BTRC asked to remove videos that encourage violence, public disorder

The High Court has ordered the removal provocative videos from Facebook and YouTube that encourage violence and public disorder.

The bench of Justice Md Khasruzzaman and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir passed the order on Tuesday following a writ petition.

Facebook, and YouTube authorities and Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) have been asked to comply with the directive within two weeks.

On 21 August, Barrister Arafat Hossain Khan served a legal notice on behalf of Bangladesh Supreme Court Advocate Nilufer Anjum and Dhaka Judge Court Advocate Md Ashraful Islam, to multiple organisations, BTRC Chairman and Head of Public Policy (Bangladesh) of Facebook Sabhanaz Rashid Diya and others concerned.

Later on Tuesday a writ was filed in this regard.

The legal notice was served for failing to remove contents from social and digital media platforms that encourage violence and public disorder.

Facebook and YouTube do not apply any supervisory mechanism or have control over their contents, especially in Bangladesh, while a large number of fake news, contents, images, and videos containing obscene and damaging presentations of political figures, intellectuals tarnish the image of the country as a nation, says the legal notice.

Barrister Arafat Hosen further said in the notice, "A vested quarter - both inside and outside Bangladesh - are purportedly circulating propaganda that highlights Bangladesh as a failed state in front of the international community and to stir turmoil inside the country.

It also noted that the same quarters are manipulating the global economic phenomenon, caused by the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, to create an abnormal situation, public disorder, civil disobedience, threat to national security and above all spoil Government's image.