Forum for Freedom of Expression, Bangladesh (FExB), a network of media rights defenders in Bangladesh is shocked to know that the award-winning investigative journalist Rozina Islam has been refused bail on trumped-up charges under colonial-era Official Secrets Act, 1923. FExB strongly protests that the Ministry of Health and Family filed false cases, illegal confinement, unauthorised…
Blog
FExB, a network of media rights organisations in Bangladesh, in the strongest words protested the arbitrary arrests of Rozina Islam, senior reporter of a popular newspaper Prothom Alo for ‘breaching’ Official Secrets Act. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare alleged that she has been charged for “theft” of “important” official documents from a government…
Planning minister
CoverageThe government needs to increase price of tobacco products by imposing tax in the upcoming national budget to contain its use, said speakers at an online discussion yesterday. Besides, rigorous awareness campaign on the danger of tobacco use and banning its cultivation and production are required to control its use among the country’s adult population,…
Non-government Voices for Interactive Choice and Empowerment (VOICE) on 9 May proposed that the government reform the ad valorem-based taxation on tobacco products by introducing a uniform tax burden on all cigarettes. According to the proposal, the excise share would be 65 per cent of retail price of all cigarettes, instead of 57 per cent…
They added that the move will help 8 lakh young people to never start smoking, encourage 11 lakh adults to give up this harmful habit, and boost government’s revenue The government must impose specific tax on all tobacco products to make them difficult to afford for the sake of public health, experts said on Sunday….
Tobacco Tax
BlogsSpeakers at a webinar Sunday demanded specific imposition of tax on all tobacco products to make it unaffordable for the sake of public health. They made the demand at a webinar titled “The necessity of increasing tobacco tax to save public health prior to budget”, organised by human rights and research organisation VOICE. Planning Minister…
Information as a public good
CoverageJournalists, rights activists, and civil society representatives urged the government to take effective steps to ensure freedom of the press. Speaking at a webinar, the distinguished speakers called for the unconditional elimination of all limitations on the media and enable a free press environment. In observance of the World Press Freedom Day, the webinar titled…
Hate Speech
BlogsA Buddhist temple in Ramu was attacked and a religious clash occurred in Bhola because of misinformation and hate speech Hate speech and misinformation are being spread in the country and social media has become a big platform for circulating misleading information and rumours. If proper measures are not taken immediately, social unrest will increase,…
DAS
CoverageSpeakers at a consultation meeting on Saturday voiced concern over the misuse of the Digital Security Act, pervasive hate speeches, both online and offline, against women, as well as religious and ethnic minority communities. The speakers emphasised the need to make the Right to Information Act effective to check the spread of false information saying…
In the last few decades women’s participation in formal, informal sector, small and medium size enterprise, and entrepreneurship have drastically increased. Yet they often get excluded from decision making process. UN Women have set women in leadership to achieve an equal future in a COVID-19 world as the theme of International Women’s Day which is…