While it is conceivable that under certain special circumstances the authorities may need to monitor the phones and the e-mails of suspected terrorists, it should be specifically warranted and authorised by an independent court, headed by a qualified and impartial judge, to ensure that the authorities do not engage in the abuse of the state's surveillance capabilities.

If the authorities are really serious about apprehending criminals in Bangladesh, all they need to do is to identify various gangsters and godfathers and charge them with the well known record of their criminal activities. People in every neighbourhood in Bangladesh know the criminals, their history, and their victims.

More often than not, these criminals are protected by powerful politicians and bureaucrats. The proposed laws are but an invasion of people's right to privacy.

There is something grotesque in giving the state the authority to violate people's privacy. With rampant corruption, such powers are likely to be abused. The proposed legislation will hamper the free flow of information and ideas.

Therefore, it should be challenged by every human rights activists as well as digital technology groups and firms in the country. Why is it that our political parties, including the opposition parties, are silent about this? Perhaps they, too, dream of abusing state power against the people when they attain power. I strongly urge all to oppose this legislation.