Bangladesh passes Digital Security Bill despite widespread protests

Bangladesh on Monday came out with a controversial digital security law despite widespread protests by journalists and rights groups that it could endanger the freedom of speech.

The Digital Security Bill, 2018 was passed by the Parliament to deal with cybercrimes, including hurting the religious sentiment, negative propaganda against the 1971 Liberation War and Bangabandhu (Sheikh Mujibur Rahman), and illegal activities in e-transactions and spreading defamatory data.

"President Abdul Hamid gave his assent for the enactment of the Digital Security Act as the bill was placed before him," a Bangabhaban presidential palace spokesman told PTI.

On September 19, the Parliament passed the Digital Security Bill sparking widespread criticism and concerns particularly by newspaper editors and journalists who say it could curb freedom of speech - especially on social media -and would undermine responsible journalism.

However, the government assured them of bringing acceptable changes.

But the presidential assent came when a meeting between the government and newspaper editors was about to take place.

The new law provides for a minimum of seven years and a maximum of 14 years' imprisonment, as well as monetary fines of a minimum of Taka 25 lakh and a maximum of Taka 1 crore, or both, for illegal access and destruction of any important information related to state affairs, the report said.

The Editors' Council has been opposing the Digital Security Act.

In a recent statement, the council said the Act will "create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation, which will make journalism, and especially investigative journalism, virtually impossible."

"A frightening aspect of the DSA is the enormous arbitrary power given to the police who may arrest a journalist just on suspicion of a so-called crime that he thinks may be committed in the future," the statement read.

But Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has defended the new law, saying that journalists should not be apprehensive if they do not run false or fabricated news, or mislead the people.

"If anybody doesn't have any criminal mindset or any plan to commit an offence, then there's nothing for him to be worried about," she said at a press conference.

The Berlin-based Graft watchdog Transparency International's Bangladesh chapter's executive director Iftekharuzzaman said: "the law will protect corruption and irregularities".