Govt to amend DSA by September

Law Minister Anisul Huq yesterday said the Digital Security Act will be amended by September -- within the current Awami League government's tenure.

At a programme held by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, he said, "We have almost completed reviewing the technical recommendations on the law sent by the UN human rights wing."

In March, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk had said that his office had "provided detailed technical comments to assist with such a revision [of the law]".

His predecessor Michelle Bachelet had said that when she came to visit Bangladesh last year, her office too had given recommendations for repeal and revision of certain provisions of the act.

Anisul Huq also said a committee -- comprising members of the Legal and Parliamentary Division, and officials from the home and foreign affairs ministries, the ICT Division, and the Law and Justice Division -- is working on amending the law and has met "two or three times".

"Our government is not denying that the law has been misused and abused … However, the DSA will not be repealed," he added.

"While traditional media organisations have to do responsible journalism to maintain credibility with their audiences, online media and social media do not practise [such] responsibility and often indulge in cybercrimes. There needs to be a law to curb this."

He added, "Please do not feel threatened. We are not here to curb press freedom."

Meanwhile, the Press Freedom Index, released yesterday, placed Bangladesh at 163rd position -- down a notch from last year.

To that, the minister said, "If an index places Bangladesh below Afghanistan, questions have to be asked."

Dr Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of TIB, said Bangladesh's position in the index is below that of even war-torn, autocratic countries simply because of the DSA.

"Even if this law is fully overhauled, it would not have acceptance among the public since it is used to violate the basic civil rights of the people. It would be better to repeal the law and institute a new cyber-security law."

Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua said, "The law has not been 'misused'. It is being used exactly the way it was intended to be."

He said that media restrictions are codified into the constitution, which places caveats on the right to freedom of expression.

"Nothing that destroys friendly relations with foreign states can be said. How do you determine friendly relations? By taking advantage of these restrictions, such laws [like the DSA] are being made."

Professor Gitiara Nasreen, of Dhaka University's journalism department, said, "Just having a large number of media organisations does not mean there is media freedom."

Dhaka Tribune's Executive Editor Reaz Ahmad echoed the sentiment by adding that media outlets are given licences because of their political connections.

"Did they truly follow any due diligence before getting such licenses? Such media is crowding out good media."

Swedish Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexandra Berg von Linde pointed out that diversity in media is still an issue.

"Less than 10 percent of journalists are women," she said, adding that press freedom and gender equality go hand in hand.

United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Gwyn Lewis and National Human Rights Commission chairperson Dr Kamal Uddin Ahmed were also present.