M Mushfiqul Fazal, State Department
The Digital Security Act is one of the world’s most draconian laws for journalists, Vedant Patel, State Department principal deputy spokesperson, has said.
He said this in a briefing held at the US Department of State on Monday.
Vedant Patel said that one of the biggest reasons that Bangladesh fell to 10 places to 162 out of 180 countries in the latest World Press Freedom Index was the Digital Security Act.
Patel was responding to a question on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s comments in parliament yesterday about the US's idea of democracy and its role in regime changes. He was also asked about a group’s breach of the office of Bangla daily Prothom Alo, and them wanting to harm the editor.
In the briefing, the State Department correspondent asked, “Secretary of State just having a meeting with the visiting Bangladesh foreign minister in this building right now. But when he is in town, the prime minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, has launched a ferocious verbal attack on the U.S., questioning U.S. democracy, human rights, and blaming for the regime change. And her son and ICT adviser to the prime minister has said U.S. State Department “nothing but a bunch of hypocrites.” So do you comment on that?
And just as supplement, another with my colleague that you are urging investigation, you are thoroughly examining and you urge Bangladesh Government to investigate the Netra News and DW report, but Bangladesh Government is examining other way around. They arrested already one of the witness in Bangladesh. So they examine other way. So what is your comment on that? And the largest Bengali daily newspaper, Prothom Alo, today a bunch of – group of people breach the security, and they’re looking for the editor they want to harm. So what is your comment on three of my questions?”
In reply, Vedant Patel said, “First, as it relates to the prime minister's comments, look, the latest world freedom – World Press Freedom Index ranked Bangladesh 162 out of 180 countries, a drop of 10 places from the previous year. And one of the biggest reasons that Bangladesh scored that – and you have asked about this question previously – is the Digital Security Act, which per our assessment is one of the world’s most draconian laws for journalists. And we have made our concerns about this law quite clear. A free press and an informed citizenry are key for any nation and its democratic future, and we are concerned that – media and content restrictions and the impact that they might have.”
“Look, broadly I’m not going to – I don’t have any new or different comments to offer about the – your second question that you asked. I would reiterate that any abusers of human rights should be held accountable, and we – it’s our immense hope that the Bangladeshi Government does look into the contents of this article and video” he said.
Another journalist in the briefing asked, “DW investigation found that members of the Bengali government may be involved in the torture and killers – killings of RAB – we have been talking here about that – how will you proceed with the sanction imposed on RAB in December 2021 for serious human rights violations?”
Vedant Patel said, “I’m not going to get into the specifics of any new actions or designations that the U.S. Government may take. But what I will say broadly is that – and you heard me speak to this on Thursday – we will examine the allegations in this article and video carefully. And our immense hope is that the Bangladeshi Government does the same. Perpetrators of any human rights abuses should be held accountable.”
MN/
