The government has formed a panel of lawyers to take legal action against disinformation and cyber bullying, particularly to protect citizens, including women who are frequently targeted by online abuse, said the PM's adviser on the Information and Broadcasting Ministry Zahed Ur Rahman on Tuesday.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has been working to combat disinformation and to some extent, misinformation, with particular concern over organised disinformation campaigns and online harassment, he said while speaking at a press briefing held on the government's ongoing activities at the Press Information Department (PID) conference room at the Secretariat.
"We are especially concerned about disinformation and the cyber bullying that regularly targets women. A woman often faces severe online abuse simply for expressing a different opinion," he said.
Zahed said the formation of the lawyer panel has been completed after going through administrative procedures, including public advertisements, interviews and verification. "The only remaining step is the formal notification, which will be issued within the next couple of days," he said.
Describing the initiative as "good news" for the public, the adviser said the panel would help address harms caused through false information, fake images, manipulated videos and malicious online campaigns.
"It is also bad news for those who spread disinformation and engage in cyber bullying. The state and the government are going to take these offences seriously, so they should be cautious," he warned.
The government also recognises the importance of improving public media literacy to help people identify false or misleading content, he said.
He also noted that while mainstream media follow editorial processes, social media platforms largely lack such safeguards, making it essential for users to verify information before sharing it.
Zahed said the government would not tolerate disinformation or cyber bullying and that the lawyer panel would act both on the basis of specific complaints and on its own initiative where necessary.
The panel would not be limited to addressing disinformation targeting the government but would also work to protect ordinary citizens from online harassment and false information, he added.
He also urged people to report incidents of cyber bullying and disinformation, expressing hope that the new mechanism would help curb such offences once it becomes operational.