Desk report
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) today said that it does not see any alternative to reconstituting the newly passed Digital Security Act-2018 cancelling its retrograde sections, reports the daily star. In the name of digital security, it has been turned into a law which is contradictory to the spirit of the Liberation War and constitution of the country, it said in a statement.
TIB opined that the commitment to place the serious concerns of editors, journalists and media practitioners before the cabinet meeting to work out amendments to the recently passed digital security bill is relaxing. However, it expressed concerns over the “insecurity and anxiety” that have been created in people’s mind by the law.
TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said, “We want to believe that the commitment to place the serious concerns of editors before the cabinet meeting is a positive step. But we are deeply concerned with the declaration to ease debate over the law through holding talks especially after the law was passed hurriedly in the parliament ignoring the concerns and recommendations of all stakeholders.”
“The law has so many sections which are retrograding and contradictory to the spirit of the Liberation War and constitution of the country that no partial amendment to it will ease the sense of insecurity. “There is no alternative to reconstitute the law cancelling all the sections which deter freedom of opinion and expression,” he said.