Draft on OTT platform policy completed: Hasan

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Monday informed that his ministry has made the draft of policy on OTT (over-the-top) platform.

“OTT platform is now a reality of growing demand. But, there has no approval system for releasing cinema, drama, web series or any other content in OTT platform till now. We’ve already made a primary draft on the policy for OTT platform,” he told newsmen at the meeting room of his ministry at Secretariat.

The minister hoped that his ministry could issue a notification of the policy soon.

Referring to a recent meeting with his Indian counterpart in New Delhi, Hasan said they (India) have issued a notification on February last in this regard. The all OTT platforms of India should have follow the rules and actions would be taken in case of deviation of the policy, he added.

He said that it is really a very tough to censor the contents of OTT platform through censor board. “It is easy to censor cinemas as 50 to 100 films are released in every year. But, it is not easy to censor hundreds of contents of OTT platform. For this, we have made a draft of the policy which will publish as notification after scrutiny,” he added.

He said the policy is to protect the culture and heritage from its deviation and lead the society and its people, including youths.

The minister said that currently social media is added with mass media. The social media has given unfettered opportunity to the people of expressing their own opinion, said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.

At the same time, he said, it was also seen that the social media was being used to create instability in the society and to spread propaganda against the government or individual.

The minister said that the main stream media are working properly. But some (people) tried to spread rumour and to create confusion among the countrymen through social media from home and abroad even during the COVID-19 situation, he added.

He said that his ministry has already been started many works including giving registrations to IP TV and online news portals to bring discipline.