Editors' Council has decided to postpone its human chain programme announced earlier in protest against some provisions of the just-passed Digital Security Act 2018.
The council took the decision after Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu requested them to postpone the programme and sit for a dialogue on September 30 next.
In a statement issued by the council's general secretary and editor of the Daily Star Mahfuz Anam said they welcomed the call for a meeting by the information minister.
"Simultaneously, the council has decided to postpone the programme scheduled to be held on September 29 in response to his (minister) request. We're always interested in resolving any problem through discussion," the statement said.
Mr Anam on behalf of the council said they took part in a discussion offered by the Prime Minister on various issues in the past though it cannot be said that the discussion was fruitful.
"We hope the obstructive provisions for media in the act will be removed through the discussion, taking concerns of the stakeholders into consideration. If not, our protest programme will be continuing," the statement said.
It said all the stakeholders in the media think that the just-passed Digital Security Act will have a severe impact on the freedom of media and they shared the concern with the government before the act got passed in parliament.
Even, the platform of editors made specific objection and protest on some provisions of the act during a meeting with the parliamentary standing committee concerned.
The opposition lawmakers had also demanded that the government should not pass the act in that way, the statement said.
"It is unfortunate that the act was passed in parliament in voice vote, defying all objections and opposition," it added.
"So, we had no option but to go for street protests. As part of it, we (Editors' Council) called a human chain programme in front of the National Press Club on September 29."
