Internet to be recognised as mass media in country

Internet is going to be recognised as one of the mass media in the country soon and www, Bangladeshinfo.Com will be the first web portal to earn honour from the government.

Online dissemination of information, which is also called dotcom, is yet to get official recognition in Bangladesh as a medium in spite of worldwide acknowledgement of portals as electronic media.

The assurance for obtaining accreditation with the government's Press Information Department (PID) came from Science and Information Communications Technology (ICT) Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan when he visited the pavilion of Bangladeshinfo.Com Limited, a Texas Group company, at BCS Computer Show-2003 here on Wednesday evening.

The minister appreciated the activities of the news portal exclusively focussing Bangladesh on the worldwide web (WWW) and said he would manage its recognition from the government for its noble contribution to enhance the country's image among the foreigners, the non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) and local net surfers.

Dr Moyeen Khan hoped that the recognition of the portal would help flourish e-commerce and e-governance at the corporate level.

The entrepreneurs of the dotcom venture told the minister that they had been facing various problems due to lack of recognition of Internet as media in the country.

Secretary of the Science and ICT Ministry Karar Mahmudul Hassan and Chief Operating Officer of Bangladeshinfo.Com Ltd M Rezaul Hassan were present during the visit.