SJB accuses govt. of trying to muzzle social media

The main opposition SJB accuses the government of attempting to suppress dissent by introducing legislation to control social media.

Addressing the media at the Opposition Leader’s office on Sunday, SJB Mayoral candidate Mujibur Rahman said social media had been instrumental in educating people on the political situation in the country and increasing their political literacy. He also commended social media for supporting the citizens’ struggles in recent times. “It can cause significant changes in society. Therefore the government is now attempting to regulate it,” he claimed.

Rahman said social media had become a serious challenge to the government and its wrong decisions. “They want to identify social media accounts working against the government and neutralise them. For this they now need a new law,” he said. “They are trying to do what they couldn’t through the new anti-terror law,” he added. Rahman said the government was attempting to curtail the people’s freedom of expression through the proposed Social Media Act.

He called on all media personnel and activists to take note of this new turn of events.  “We tell them that the government is trying a new tactic to suppress the media, activists and others defending democracy.