The bill for the Digital Security Act 2018 will be not passed in the Parliament’s ongoing session as lawmakers unanimously granted two more months further scrutiny.
Ruling MP Imran Ahmed, who chairs the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Post, Telecom and ICT, floated the proposal during Wednesday’s session which was passed by a voice vote.
On Jan 29, the Cabinet gave the green light to the new law’s draft and on Apr 9, it was tabled in the House by Telecoms and ICT Minister Mustafa Jabbar, when the Standing Committee was given a month to scrutinise it.
The proposed law, however, has drawn criticisms with journalists and rights activists find it will effectively stifle the media as well as prevent investigative reporting.
The proposed Digital Security Act will stifle the media as several of its will effectively prevent investigative reporting, says the Editors’ Council.
On May 22, the Standing Committee invited media representatives and three ministers — Law Minister Anisul Huq, Telecoms and ICT Minister Mustafa Jabbar and State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak in a meeting, after which the government said the concerned provisions will be revised.
The proposed Digital Security Act 2018 incorporates issues addressed in the controversial Section 57 of the ICT Act in an elaborated way.
Section 57 criminalises ‘publication of fake, obscene or defaming information in electronic form’.
An offence under this provision of the Act is punishable by at least seven years to a maximum of 14 years’ imprisonment. Fine can be as much as Tk 10 million.
Rights defenders have described Section 57 as ‘draconian’ saying the law-enforcers misuse it.
The new law addresses the same issues ‘in detail’, Cabinet Secretary Md Shafiul Alam had said after the government cleared the draft earlier this year.
Journalists and rights activists say the new law will severely hamper investigative reporting, especially, Section 32, which defines storing and transferring confidential government data as well as aiding and abetting such efforts as espionage.
It keeps provisions of up to 14 years in jail and fines as high as Tk 2.5 million for such offences, but does not clearly define confidential data.