Consult all stakeholders on digital security bill

Talking to journalists is not enough; government needs to talk to all stakeholders about the concerns raised over the proposed Digital Security Act, human rights activist Advocate Sara Hossain said yesterday.

She was speaking at a dialogue on "Fundamental Rights and Digital Security Act – 2018" organised by Committee for the Protection of Fundamental Rights (CPFR) at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU).

Hossain referred to Section 57 of ICT Act and said many students, teachers, online activists, and general people have become victims of its misuse.

She said the law minister has acknowledged that many had suffered and were still suffering due to the misuse of Section 57. She wondered whether the victims would receive any compensation.

Advocate Dr Shahdeen Malik, while addressing the programme, said the act included “Offending the Ideology of Independence and Liberation War” as criminal offence but has not properly described it, thereby leaving the scope for deliberate misuse.

He termed the act a move to “stop people from practicing their freedom of expression.”

Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua said according to the Commonwealth tradition, proper description of offences and punishments have to be written when framing any law, but “here (in proposed Digital Security Act) there are several ambiguities, which have chances to be misused.”