Journos’ concerns to be raised at cabinet
Desk report
Law Minister Anisul Huq yesterday committed to placing the serious concerns of editors, journalists and media practitioners before the cabinet meeting to work out amendments to the recently passed digital security bill to make the law acceptable to all, reports the daily star.
At a meeting with the Sampadak Parishad (Editors’ Council), a platform of editors of national dailies, the minister also promised to sit with the editors and journalists in this regard.“The next cabinet meeting, scheduled for October 3, may not discuss the issue as it already has many other agendas for discussions. But the concerns of the Editors’ Council will be placed before the cabinet meeting after this one,” he told reporters after the meeting.
Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Mustafa Jabbar, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s media adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury and acting secretary of Information Ministry Abual Hossain were also present at the three-hour meeting at the information ministry. Thirteen 13 editors of different dailies joined the discussions.
Inu had invited the Sampadak Parishad for talks over their concerns about the much-debated bill after the Council announced it would form a human chain before the Jatiya Press Club on September 29 protesting the passage of the bill. However, upon the request from the information minister, the Parishad postponed its programme.
On September 22, the Parishad expressed its deep regret that the House passed the Digital Security Bill 2018, which the platform considers to be against media freedom and freedom of speech guaranteed by the constitution.
Earlier on September 16, the Council expressed its surprise, disappointment and shock at the final report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Post, Telecommunication and ICT Ministry on the draft law.
The Council said the report “totally ignored” the concerns expressed by journalists and media organisations.
“We are forced to reject the said report as it suggested no fundamental changes to sections 8, 21, 25, 28, 29, 31, 32, and 43 of the Draft Act that pose serious threats to freedom of expression and media operation,” the Parishad said in a statement.
After the meeting with the Editors’ Council, Inu and Jabbar also held talks with leaders of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), Dhaka Union of Journalists and Dhaka Reporters Unity at the same venue over their concerns about the law.