In the last two days, 13 cases have been lodged under the Digital Security Act with the court ordering investigation of five cases and First Information Report, FIR in two. Six were dismissed.

Seeing the trend of the two days, relevant people are alarmed that more cases may be lodged under the Digital Security Act than the previous ICT act.

They also feel that the new act may be abused with reckless lodging of cases.

Of the 13 cases lodged in the last two days, one was for hurting religious sentiment by threatening to destroy a Buddhist monastery.

One case was for calling someone a terrorist while another was for making obscene comments aimed at a girl.

One woman accused her former husband of publishing private photos of her on Facebook, Messenger, Viber and IMO. In another case, a woman lodged a case stating that her image was distorted.

Previously, there was fear over clause 57 of ICT act; in the face of criticism, it was revoked but all the elements of it were incorporated in the new digital act which may see a sharp rise of cases, say specialists.

The non-bailable clauses are: 17, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32 and 34.

Clause 25 states that for cyber threats, three years imprisonment and Tk. Three lakh fine will be slapped, clause 26 says that supplying private information of a person without consent will be a crime and the punishment will be seven years in prison, Tk. ten lakh fine or both, clause 28 says hurting religious sentiment will lead to Tk. 20 lakh fine and ten years imprisonment while clause 29 states that for defamation there is the punishment of three years in jail with Tk. 5 lakh fine.

Under clause 31, publishing any content on a website that triggers division, enmity and disharmony will be deemed criminal; clause 32 says that the act of entering a government, autonomous or semi government organisation illegally and taking classified information and restoring it in any electronic device will be deemed as an act of espionage.

Media houses see several clauses to be impediments to investigative journalism and have been demanding amendment to 9 specific clauses. Journalists have said that they feel a sense of fear in pursuing investigative reporting.

Former executive director of Ain o Salish Kendra and human rights activist, Nur Khan Liton, says: “there are eight to nine clauses which poses a threat to journalists, human rights workers and researchers.”

This law will be abused and freedom of speech will be curtailed, he added.