<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that Bangladesh’s growing media during her tenures has the freedom to say whatever they wish to say.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“After speaking all, if someone says that he/she’s not allowed to speak, what would be the answer? That’s my question,” she said in an interview with the Bengali service of Voice of America (VoA) aired on Tuesday.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister was responding to a question on the Digital Security Act (DSA) enacted by her government and its impact on freedom of media. She is now in Washington on a visit to the United States.</div><div><br></div><div>She said that Bangladesh had only a few TV and radio stations before she came to power in 1996 and those were controlled by the government.</div><div><br></div><div>PM Hasina said once she came to power, she made an opening for the private sector to run media houses freely.</div><div><br></div><div>She said there are around 32 private television channels that are now operational among the approved 44 TV channels, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister said that people are taking part in television talk shows and they keep talking freely – true or false – and keep criticizing the government.</div><div><br></div><div>She added there was no freedom of speech or movement when there was a military dictator in power.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>