Dhaka, May 22 – Law minister Anisul Huq Tuesday said that the government would take into cognizance the eight-points raised by journalists community and redraft the Digital Security Bill specifying the definitions of terms, necessary addition or deduction. “We (government) will consider the opinion of the journalists. Their opposition is logical. We will redraft the law,” the law minister made the observations to the media after coming out from the meeting.
Earlier, the law minister held a meeting with the Editors’ Council, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists, Association of Television Channel Owners (ATCO), and the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Post, Telecommunications and ICT ministries at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, all of who strongly opposed the law.
ICT Minister Mustafa Jabbar, who was also present, voiced similar views.
Coming out from the meeting, the law minister said, “We will finalise the draft once again sitting with the representatives of mass media and then place it before parliament for passage.”
“We want to enact the law for the country not for any certain individual. We are not enacting any law obstructing journalism or targeting journalists. We cannot enact any law against the freedom of the press as per constitutional provision,” the law minister noted.
The Editors’ Council specifically raised objections against Articles 8, 21, 25, 28, 29, 31, 32, and 43 of the bill saying the vagueness of such provisions would threaten the free media and the freedom of speech.
The bill on the Digital Security Act is currently under scrutiny with the parliamentary standing committee on post telecom and ICT ministry.
The minister for post, telecommunication and ICT, Mustafa Jabbar said, ‘We clearly want to say that the Digital Security Act is drafted for curbing digital crimes not for infringing freedom of the press or obstructing journalism.’
Editors’ council president, Samakal editor Golam Sarwar told reporters that the discussion was fruitful. “We have raised objections against some provisions of the Digital Security Act that would threaten the free media and the freedom of speech,” he said.
“We have fought earlier to protect democracy. If the government will not amend the Digital Security Bill before its passage as per our demand, we will launch movement to protect the freedom of speech and journalism,” veteran journalist Sarwar said.
He also said, ‘We have given a written statement to the authorities concerned raising our objections and we hope the government will work in line with our demand for the greater interest of the freedom of speech.’
Editors’ council secretary editor of Daily Star Mahfuz Anam told media that they have raised objections in eight sections of the draft law. The members of the parliamentary committee accepted our proposals.
In response to a query, he said that the editors’ council would do everything to make the acceptance of the Digital Security Act to the journalists so that the rights of the journalists would not hamper following the law.
ATCO president and chairman of Independent Television Salman F Rahman said that they have informed the authorities concerned about the bad sides of the law.
“We have worried about some sections of the law. We have informed the authorities concerned about our concern over the law. The committee assured us that they would consider our prayer. The committee will place the Digital Security Bill after bringing amendment into the law,” Rahman said. – Staff Reporter
