Hours after the disclosure that President Abdul Hamid signed the Digital Security Bill, BNP on Monday announced not to accept such a ‘black’ law.
“We don’t accept today’s law (Digital Security Law). In fact, we don’t accept any law of this government as those were passed in a parliament which has no legitimacy,” said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
Speaking at a views-exchange meeting, he further said, “This Parliament doesn’t represent people as it is an illegal parliament.”
BNP arranged the programme titled ‘Digital Security Act’ at a city hotel. Journalists from different media outlets and some representatives from different embassies, including the USA, the UK, the EU, Canada, China, Russia, Afghanistan, Palestine, Turkey and Vietnam, joined the programme.
Former President of the Jatiya Press Club Shawkat Mahmud presented the keynote paper at the programme.
Fakhrul branded the government as ‘hypocrite’ saying it assured the Editors Council of taking steps for amending ‘controversial’ sections of the Digital Security Bill, but it was made law without any amendment. “Even, the government didn’t talk to any anybody over the act.”
He alleged that the government has enacted the ‘black’ law as its safeguard so that media cannot publish any reports on its corruption.
Earlier in the day, President Abdul Hamid has assented to the Digital Security Bill passed in the 22nd session of the current parliament, making it a law.
The Digital Security Bill, 2018′ was passed to deal with cybercrimes, including hurting the religious sentiment, negative propaganda against the Liberation War and Bangabandhu, and illegal activities in e-transactions and spreading defamatory data.
Fakhrul called upon the government to release BNP chief Khaleda Zia from jail before the time runs out as only she can help overcome the current situation. “There’s no alternative to freeing Khaleda Zia to overcome the current crisis.”
He also urged the government to engage in talks to find out ways to hold a fair and acceptable election in a peaceful manner so that people can exercise their right to franchise.
The BNP leader warned the government that it will not be able to hang onto power for a long time by holding people hostage at gunpoint.
Fakhrul called upon the BNP leaders and activists not to be frustrated and get ready for carrying their struggle. “There’s no reason to get frustrated. I see the light of hope. We’ll continue our struggle until our all demands are met, our chairperson is freed and people get rid of misrule.”
About the national unity, he said they have started working for forging a national unity. “People had got united before we took the initiative for forging the unity to remove the current regime.”
The BNP leader said now all the political parties, individuals and organisations are taking about holding the election under a non-party neutral administration by dissolving parliament.
He said over 4,500 ‘fictitious’ cases were filed over the last one month while around 25 lakh people were made accused in around 90,000 cases over the last 10 years. “People’s unity is the only way to overcome this situation. We’ll achieve the victory by forging the people’s unity.”
BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain alleged that the Digital Security Act was framed from a Baksal concept to establish unwritten one-party rule. “What could be blacker than this law? Even, I think, there’s no such law in any monarchy, let alone democracy.”
He said the current ‘fascist’ regime formulated the law to ensure its security and gag the voice of the media, politicians and the common people who use the social media. “I would like to say that the consequences of such efforts won’t be good.”
source: UNB
