The European Union has called for Bangladesh to revise a few provisions of the new Digital Security Act that was recently passed in September.
A media statement issued by members of EU on Thursday, said that the Act restricts freedom of expression and media as well as undermine judicial procedural guarantees.
Hence the government has been called to continue consultations on this law and pursue the commitments taken during the Universal Periodic Review last May, it said.
They have also requested that the Act should be revised in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Constitution of Bangladesh.
This is not the first time the EU has expressed concerns over these laws.
On Mar 25, the ambassadors and concerned representatives of ten other countries in Bangladesh, including the EU met with Law Minister Anisul Huq to draw attention to four sections of the Digital Security Act which they think should be revised.
EU Ambassador Rensje Teerink, Italian Ambassador Mario Palma, Spanish Ambassador D. Alvaro de Salas Gimenez de Azcarate, Swedish Ambassador Charlotta Schlyter, France Ambassador Marie-Annick Bourdin, German Ambassador Peter Fahrenholtz, Dutch Ambassador-designate Harry Verweij, Danish Ambassador-designate Winnie Estrup Petersen, acting British High Commissioner Kanbar Hossein-Bor, Norwegian Ambassador Sidsel Bleken and Swiss Ambassador Rene Holenstein are among the signatories to the local statement.