Posts and Telecommunications Minister of Bangladesh Mustafa Jabbar has said, after September this year the government will be capable of monitoring and intervening in social media content to check the spread of rumours through sites such as Facebook and YouTube.

He said, the government will have the power to intervene directly, so that content on social media platforms is monitored, and if necessary, taken down. Mr Jabbar said some news organisations also engage in rumour mongering.

The government will be able to stop unauthorised news portals after publishing the registration list. The Minister said law enforcement agencies have gained the capacity to stop rumour on the social media.

He said the government has been able to stop around 22,000 website publishing pornographic content. However, the minister assured that the government has no intention to curb citizen’s freedom of expression and the only aim of the move is to stop the spread of dubious information on social media.