Everyone should be sincere about protecting the privacy of citizens: HC
The High Court today said everyone concerned should be sincere about protecting the private communication of citizens.
Eavesdropping on personal issues which are then published on media is not fair as such incidents cause damage to the persons concerned, the HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman said while hearing a writ petition that sought its directive on the government to take necessary steps to prevent incidents of eavesdropping and recording of private phone conversation.
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) needs to enquire who are responsible for incidents of eavesdropping, the bench said.
The bench fixed September 19 for delivering its order on the petition as it concluded hearing arguments on the issue.
While hearing the writ plea, the petitioners' lawyer Mohammad Shishir Manir told the court that Bangladesh Telecommunication and Regulatory Commission (BTRC) is responsible to ensure private communication of citizens under the relevant provisions of the constitution and the Bangladesh Telecommunication and Regulatory Commission law.
But the BTRC has failed to carry out its constitutional and legal duties, he said.
Attorney General AM Amin Uddin opposed the writ petition saying that the writ petitioners, who are lawyers by profession, have no right to move such petition as they are not aggrieved with any incident of eavesdropping and recording of private phone conversation.
If any person becomes aggrieved, he or she can file a case for necessary remedy, he said.
Petitioners' lawyer Shishir Manir replied that his clients as lawyers have right move writ petition in order to protect the people's legal and constitutional rights.
Ten Supreme Court lawyers on August 10 this year submitted the writ petition as a public interest litigation to the HC, seeking its directive on the government also to inform what necessary steps have been taken to prevent such incidents.
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