Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) today guardedly welcomed the Cabinet decision to repeal the controversial Digital Security Act (DSA).
The response came as the Cabinet earlier in the day decided to scrap the law and approved in principle a Cyber Security Act. The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The TIB in a statement, however, called for ensuring that the proposed cybersecurity law being enacted in place of the DSA does not become a tool to obstruct free expression and suppress the voice of the media.
It also urged the government to engage the concerned stakeholders and experts closely in the process of formulating the new cyber security law.
"The TIB has consistently said that even if the Digital Security Act is amended or completely overhauled, the law will not reflect the public interest or be acceptable to the people," said TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman.
"We welcome the Cabinet's decision to repeal the law [DSA]. At the same time, we want to believe that the government has decided to cancel the DSA after realising the way it has become a tool to suppress voices and suppress dissents," he said.
Iftekharuzzaman said the new cyber security law should be limited to the security of cyberinfrastructure and should not be used to restrict free expression.
He also said that the new law should not be used against the critics using cyberinfrastructure and digital platforms.
"We have come to know from media sources that the Honorable Law Minister has said that many sections of the Digital Security Act will be added to the Cyber Security Act. That's where our fear is. We urge that the provisions of the Digital Security Act, which have been widely misused to suppress dissent and suppress the voice of the media, should not be included in the new Cyber Security Act," said the TIB executive director.
"The new cybersecurity law should not come back as a new form of the DSA. Otherwise, even if the law is renamed, in effect it will be just another 'black law'… with a different name," he said.
