In a bid to monitor social media and OTT content, The Ministry of Information (MoI) has formed a committee of 15 on December 23, with the Additional Secretary (Broadcast) of the MoI as the chair, to formulate a policy guideline regarding the contents and advertisements shown on social media sites and OTT platforms. The other members of the committee include the Director General of Bangladesh Television (BTV), the Director General of Bangladesh Betar, the Director General of Department of Films and Publications, the Managing Director of Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) and representatives from Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL), ICT Division and Posts and Telecommunications Division.

When asked, Md Mizan Ul Alam, Additional Secretary (Broadcast) and the chair of the committee told the Daily Star that, the purpose of this committee is to look into the broadcast aspect of contents on social media and OTT platform. "Within our purview are both local as well as international OTT platforms. We will look into the matter so that the content published here adheres to the local standard."

The committee also includes Mozammel Haque Babu, Senior Vice-Chairman, Association of Television Channel Owners, celebrated actor Tariq Anam Khan, filmmaker Amitabh Reza Chowdhury, filmmaker and producer Piplu R Khan, the selected representative of the Director's Guild and the selected representative of Broadcast Journalist Association.

Interestingly, the committee does not include any representative from any social media or OTT platforms, local or international. When asked about this, Mizan said, "We just formulated the committee. After our first meeting, if we deem necessary, we will include them. Moreover, once the draft policies are approved, we will make it open for the public to share their views."

When contacted with some of the biggest local and international OTT platforms operating in Bangladesh, all of them unanimously said they were not aware of such committee.

Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud stated earlier this year that social media platform and OTT platforms operating in Bangladesh will be brought under proper VAT regulations. On a media briefing during July, the Minister expressed concerns over not being able to extract VAT from global OTT platforms like YouTube and Netflix.

Netflix, however, wrote a letter to the Chairman of National Board of Revenue on October 18 this year, requesting the NBR to simplify its VAT regime, which the streaming giant complains is too complicated and outdated.

On that particular briefing during July, Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud also hinted that contents shown on the social media and OTT platforms in the country might have to go through some degree of censorship citing concerns over unregulated and unmonitored content.

On this note, earlier this year in June, a legal notice was sent to the Secretary to the Ministry of Information, Secretary to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Chairman and Director of BTRC, IG of Police and Additional Deputy Inspector General of Cyber Police Bureau of CID by Supreme Court lawyer Tanvir Ahmed citing that the web series "August 14" directed by Shihab Shaheen was violating the Pornography Control Act, 2012 and the Digital Security Act, 2018.

Following the notice, the web-series "August 14", along with Sumon Anowar's "Sadar Ghater Tiger," and Wahid Tarek's "Boomerang", were taken off their respective streaming sites, spiralling a widespread debate and concern about censorship in the months that followed.