DHAKA, – Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said the government will take decision against the cable operators who would not digitalize their operating systems within a timeframe.
“I think, it will not need more than one year to digitalize the television cable operating system . . . but the timeframe will be finalized after discussion,” he told at a press conference at the meeting room of his ministry at the Secretariat in the capital.
The minister said, “We have brought discipline, to some extent, in this sector. The government is determined to bring full discipline.”
It will not need more than one year to bring the cable operating system under digitalization across the country, Hasan said, adding it would be possible to digitalize the system in Dhaka and Chattogram cities within a few months, he added.
He said, “If they (cable operators) want, they can do it. The cable operators who don’t want to do it, would not be able to digitalize their operating system. If needed, we will give license to new cable operators who will come up as digitized,” he added.
The minister said, “Earlier, we had fixed a timeframe of June 30 for digitalization after sitting with the cable operators. They told that it would possible to digitize Dhaka and Chattogram cities by last December. But they didn’t do it. They will have to give the answer why they didn’t digitize. Now, the government will decide against the operators who would not follow the government’s order.”
He said mass media flourished in Bangladesh during the tenure of the Awami League government.
“Mass media rapidly flourished in Bangladesh during the time of the Sheikh Hasina-led government. For the first time, she gave approval to private television channels in the country,” said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.
He said, “I have been able to bring discipline mostly in this sector after taking the charges. The ministry has finalized the issue of keeping the Bangladeshi channels in the first segment of the cable serial according to the date of their commissioning.”
Now, he said, the ministry is working to bring all the cable operating systems under digitalization.
The minister said the neighbouring country India has digitalized the cable operating system.
He said the cable operators have specific areas. “But they don’t follow the rule. On the other hand, we are not able to apply the law of stopping advertisements in foreign channels in the absence of the digital system,” he added.
Hasan said there are around 4.50 crore television viewers across the country. And the cable operators are earning a lot. But, they are not giving tax and VAT to the government, he added.
If the system is brought under digitalization, they can’t be able to evade tax and VAT, the minister said, adding the government will get about Taka 10,000 to 12,000 crore as tax and VAT from this sector in every year.
