The Bangladesh Press Council has been given one-week time from the High Court to close all the unregistered news portals across the country.
The HC bench of Justice Mujibur Rahman Mia and Justice Md Kamrul Hossain Mollah granted the application of the Press Council and gave the time on Tuesday.
Deputy Attorney General Nowroz Mohammad Rasel Chowdhury took part in the hearing in the court on behalf of the Bangladesh Press Council, while Advocate Rashida Chowdhury Nilu moved for the writ petition in this regard.
Earlier on September 14, the HC bench directed the government to ban operation of all unregistered online news portals.
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The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BRTC) and Bangladesh Press Council were asked to ban the unregistered online news portals in seven days after receiving the HC order.
The higher court had delivered the order following the writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyers Rasida Chowdhury Nilu and Zaren Rahman.
Rasida Chowdhury Nilu said that they filed the writ petition as the unregistered online news portals are harmful for citizens as they run defamatory and character assassinating reports, comments and photographs.
The lawyers also submitted a list of 92 registered online news portals, which was developed based on the list published in various newspapers in June 2021.
