Legal Notice Seeks Removal of Videos Violating Child Protection Laws

A legal notice has been issued demanding the removal of all videos containing accountability-based interviews of the victim’s sister and family members from the Facebook page and YouTube channel of "Amrao Manush", citing a violation of existing laws and High Court directives. The notice also calls for the formulation of guidelines for content creators in the country.

The notice, issued within 24 hours, has been sent to the Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Senior Secretary of the Public Security Division under the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Secretary of the Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs, the Chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), and the Inspector General of Police.

The legal action follows the widespread circulation of sensitive images, videos, and identifying details of the victim child from Magura across various media outlets and social media platforms, in clear violation of existing laws and High Court directives. The notice was sent via email on Thursday, March 13, by Supreme Court lawyer Md. Bahauddin Al Imran, citing public interest.

The notice highlights Section 14 of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, 2000, which strictly prohibits the publication of any information that may reveal the identity of a victimized woman or child. It further states that any violation of this provision is punishable by up to two years of imprisonment, a fine of up to BDT 100,000, or both.

"Despite these clear legal provisions, sensitive images, videos, and identifying information of the victim child from Magura have been widely circulated in the media and on social platforms," the notice states. It also refers to a High Court order issued on March 9 by a bench led by Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debashish Roy Chowdhury, directing the removal of all images, videos, and identifying details of the child from newspapers, online news portals, and social media within 24 hours.

Additionally, the High Court ordered legal action within three working days against individuals and entities involved in violating Section 14 of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. The court also emphasized the need to ensure the safety of the victim’s sister, stating, "She is also a child, and her security must be ensured."

The court further instructed the Dhaka and Magura district social welfare officers to take immediate steps within 24 hours to safeguard the victim and her 14-year-old sister’s well-being.

However, despite legal restrictions and High Court directives, a female biker from Jashore, operating the "Amrao Manush" Facebook page and YouTube channel, recorded multiple accountability-based interviews with the victim’s elder sister, questioning her about the incident’s authenticity. These videos went viral, prompting public curiosity and encouraging others to record their own videos, exacerbating the victimization of the affected family.

The notice demands the removal of all such videos and posts from social media within 24 hours and urges legal action against the content creators responsible for violating the law. Additionally, it calls for compensation for the victim’s family and the formulation of clear guidelines for content creators to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Failure to comply with these demands will result in the notifier seeking legal remedies through the appropriate courts, the notice warns.