TIB for repealing Digital Security Act, not amendment

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on Wednesday demanded repeal of the Digital Security Act, saying that only an amendment to this restrictive law is not a solution at all.

Many provisions of the Digital Security Act are against the fundamental rights of the people. With this arbitrary misuse of the law, media, civil society and above all people are insecure, the TIB said in a statement.

TIB's executive director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said, 'In the name of digital security, the process against the constitution has created fear and insecurity for the media, civil society and ordinary people. We demand the immediate repeal of the Act.

It has been proved beyond doubt that the Digital Security Act is contrary to the constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression. This law, which takes away the freedom of media and punishes dissidents, is against the spirit of freedom, the statement added.

This law has been used arbitrarily to suppress the dissent and the voice of the media, torture minorities, and also for making arrests with cases after prolonged disappearances and even for inflicting custodial torture after arrest, said the TIB head.

‘Even though the government is talking about amending this law, there is no other option but to completely revoke it,’ Dr. Iftekharuzzaman added.

In an increasingly technology-dependent digital Bangladesh, there is a definite need for a law to support a safe and healthy use of digital media, argued the TIB official.

‘We urge the government to take initiatives to enact a new cyber security law to secure its use,’ he said.