The Editors' Council yesterday expressed surprise over the exclusion of leading newspapers from the government list of online news portals.

"The country's television channels do not require any separate government approval for publishing news online. The same rules should be applied for newspapers as well because those are published with government approval just like the television channels. Such a decision was made at a joint meeting of the information ministry and the organisations concerned," the Council said in a statement. 

Referring to the government decision that newspapers have to get separate approval for publishing news online, the Council urged the government to find a logical solution.

Naem Nizam, the editor of daily Bangladesh Pratidin, signed the statement on behalf of the Editors' Council.

"A list of 34 news portals was published in the first phase of registration of online news portals. We noticed with surprise that the names of the country's widely-circulated and reputed newspapers were not on the list," the statement reads.

"It is noticed with great concern that incidents of harassment and filing cases against journalists across the country have increased at an alarming rate. And the Digital Security Act is being used purposefully for this. We strongly protest it.

"There is no safeguard for newspapers and journalists. We think it is very urgent to bring necessary amendments to the law," it noted.

The statement further mentioned that the newspaper industry is facing an uncertain future across the globe amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"The newspaper industry in Bangladesh is facing the same situation. The number of readers as well as the circulation of newspapers has dropped. Advertisements have declined alarmingly.

"The newspapers in the country have never faced such a situation before. We have continued publications despite all the obstacles.

"But the newspaper industry has not received any substantial assistance and cooperation from the government... It is deprived of the government support that profit-making industries have received. The newspapers placed their demands before the ministries concerned at different times. But sadly the government has never taken those demands into account…

"Amid the pandemic, journalists are risking their lives to serve the people. They have to work in the face of threats and intimidation. News organisations and journalists are being forced to maintain self-censorship, which creates obstacles to building healthy administrative and social systems," it added.