‘Laws must be pro-people’

Laws to combat fake news must be pro-people, otherwise, they will be misused against those who are vulnerable and protect those who are powerful, said speakers at a conference yesterday.

Former head of National Human Rights Commission Prof Mizanur Rahman said fake news became a tool for achieving political gains, as observed in both local and geopolitical contexts. "Fake news spreads more ahead of the national election," he warned.

The event was organised by ELCOP (Empowerment through Law of the Common People).

Rahman, who chairs ELCOP, was speaking at a seminar titled "Fake News: A Threat to Human Rights and Democracy" at a city hotel.

"During elections, when the flurry of messages increases, there is always a feat of greater violence," said senior journalist Saleem Samad.

During elections, when the flurry of messages increases, there is always a feat of greater violence.

— Saleem Samad, senior journalist

He said the Digital Security Act is directly in conflict with democracy, freedom of expression and pluralism, but has left the fundamentalists unscathed. They are one of the key groups that have been spreading misinformation on Covid-19 and spewing hate speech.

Strategies to combat fake news, misinformation and hate speech should be more social and educational in their character to ensure that the right to freedom of expression is not violated by over-broad legislative provisions criminalising or suppressing expression, said Samad.

Human rights advocate ZI Khan Panna said unless existing laws are changed, fake news cannot be combatted.

Md Johir Uddin Shohag, research consultant at ELCOP, pointed out that the rise of the influence of tech companies and populism helps fake news spread faster.

Eminent economist Prof Abul Barkat said to combat fake news, formal legal measures, corporate commitments, and civil-society actions are needed.

Prof Imtiaz Ahmed of Dhaka University's international relations department said the rise of fake news cannot be tackled without ensuring digital literacy for the masses.

Dr Arghya Sengupta, research director of Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy; Dr Lopamudra Maitra Bajpai, professor at West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences; Prof Yubaraj Sangroula, former attorney general from Nepal; and Vasily Pushkov, director of International Cooperation, Sputnik International News Agency and Radio from Russia, also spoke at the event.