BTRC Chairman Calls for Responsible Social Media Use to Combat Online Abuse

• BTRC chairman calls for responsible and ethical social media use.
• Emphasizes balancing freedom of speech with responsible expression.
• Says Facebook's influence now exceeds that of many smaller countries.
• BTRC blocked 26,000 online gambling websites in the past year.
• Around 20,000 harmful and hate-related online contents were removed.
• Anti-gambling law expected to strengthen enforcement.
• Stamford University Bangladesh wins debate competition.
• Debate for Democracy urges stricter action against misinformation and harmful content.

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Chairman Major General (Retd.) Md. Emdad Ul Bari has stressed the need for greater public awareness, respect for personal privacy, and responsible expression on social media to curb its misuse.

Speaking as the chief guest at a parliamentary debate competition titled "Misuse of Social Media in Creating Social Instability" at the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) on Saturday, he said Facebook has become more influential than many small states because of its ability to connect people instantly across the globe.

He emphasized that while freedom of expression is essential, users should also exercise restraint and responsibility in their online activities.

Referring to online financial fraud, the BTRC chief said platforms had previously been used in scams involving companies such as Destiny and Evaly. He added that identifying payment channels used for online gambling would make it easier to trace offenders.

According to him, BTRC shut down 26,000 online gambling websites and removed 20,000 harmful and hate-related online contents over the past year. He also expressed hope that the recently enacted anti-gambling law would strengthen efforts to combat digital crimes.

The debate competition was organized by Debate for Democracy, where Stamford University Bangladesh emerged as the champion, defeating Manarat International University.

Chairman of Debate for Democracy Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiran said misinformation, rumors, hate speech, obscene online content, and illegal gambling were posing serious threats to social harmony and youth development. He urged regulators to take stricter action against harmful digital content circulating for commercial gain.

//DBTech/NA/SMEK//