Strict legal action will be taken against social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram if they do not cooperate with the government in 'resisting rumours', State Minister for Telecom and ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak said today.

"We request the officials of Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram to respect the law and religious sentiments of Bangladesh. They should not indulge in rumours to ensure the security of the state, its citizens, and students," said Palak at an event organised by the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum at the secretariat in Dhaka.

"They should cooperate with the government to resist these rumours. If we do not get their cooperation, we will take strict legal action against them," he added.

"In recent times, we have noticed that negative content is circulating on some social media platforms," he said.

"Platforms like Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram are being used against the government and state, with malicious attempts to create anarchy."

"I request that those active on social media verify information before believing them," he said.

He urged citizens to be alert against attempts to create anarchy in the country through old and fake images, videos, or AI-generated contents.