No information that hurts religious sentiments or is against the principles of secularism can be published on Facebook and social media. Apart from this, any posts, pictures, audio or video uploads, comments, likes, shares that may destroy communal harmony or deteriorate law and order should be avoided.
On Sunday (October 23), the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) issued an office order in this regard. This instruction has been given to the Principals and Headmasters of government and private educational institutions in the light of the directives of the cabinet department. The order has warned that if any teacher, officer-employee does such work despite this instruction, actions will be taken against them as per the existing law.
According to the office order, some teachers-employees of secondary level public and private educational institutions under the jurisdiction of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education have posted indecent, unethical, manners on their personal wall and various groups on social media, Facebook, against their colleagues, heads of institutions, higher authorities and decisions taken by authorities. Giving extraneous and provocative speech. The image of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education and the Ministry of Education is being tarnished. Such activities are governed by the Government Service Rules 1979, Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules- 2018, Government Services Act- 2018, Digital Security Act- 2018, Manpower Structure of Private Educational Institutions (Schools and Colleges) and MPO Policy- 2021, Recognized Private Secondary School Teachers Employment Conditions Rules 1979 and Cabinet Division, Bangladesh Secretariat.
It is also said that all the teachers-employees working in secondary level public and private educational institutions who have opened different groups on social media and Facebook, all the group admins of those groups have been given instructions to follow the government laws and rules in the matter of approving content and posts in the group. This instruction will be regularly monitored by the heads of secondary level public and private educational institutions. If any teacher-employee or any person working in public and private educational institutions of secondary level is offended by someone’s content, post, they will apply to the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education along with evidence to take necessary action against the content, post uploaded.
The order further informs that, with the aim of increasing awareness among the users of social media in government institutions and ensuring its proper use, the Cabinet Department has formulated ‘Guidelines on Use of Social Media in Government Institutions, 2019 (Revised Edition)’. The said guidelines include creating corporate and personal accounts on social media and mention the things to avoid. In the light of such instructions, all the government ministries/departments and the public employees of the departments, offices, organizations under it have been requested to follow the prescribed issues in the use of social media.
9 point instructions
- Refrain from uploading, commenting, liking, sharing any post, image, audio or video that defames the image of the government or the state through various means of social communication
- Any information contrary to national unity and consciousness should be avoided
- No data shall be disclosed which may hurt the religious sentiments of any community or which is against the principle of secularism. Any posts, pictures, audio or video uploads, comments, likes, shares that may destroy communal harmony or cause deterioration of law and order should be avoided.
- Refrain from giving any post that denigrates any nationally important person, organization or any other service/profession.
- No information about gender discrimination or controversy related to it shall be published.
- No writing, audio or video etc. shall be published or shared which may cause displeasure or unpleasant sentiment in the public mind.
- Dissemination of baseless, false and obscene information should be avoided.
- Refrain from uploading, commenting, liking, sharing any post, image, audio or video containing adverse comments about any other state or state important persons.
- In social media management, one must exercise caution in ‘content’ and ‘friend’ selection and avoid unnecessary tags, references or sharing. The concerned employee shall be personally responsible for misuse of social media or harmful content on his/her account and action shall be taken in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.