Digital Security Bill: JS body places report at parliament

Abrar Hussain: A parliamentary body submitted its report on the controversial Digital Security Bill yesterday amid protests and concerns expressed by journalists and media organizations.
Interestingly, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Post, Telecom and ICT recommended several changes in its report that include inclusion to the Right to Information Act (RTI) under Section 3.
The parliamentary watchdog also recommended renaming the offence of “computer or digital spying” as “violating state secrecy” under Section 32 and incorporating Official Secrets Act, 1923.On Sunday, the Sampadak Parishad (Editors’ Council), an organization of the country’s dailies, expressed its surprise, disappointment and shock at the final report of the Jatiya Sangsad committee on the proposed Digital Security Act-2018, reported The Daily Star.In a statement, the Council said they are forced to reject the report as it suggested no fundamental changes to sections 8, 21, 25, 28, 29, 31, 32, and 43 of the draft act that pose serious threats to freedom of expression and media operation.The Editors’ Council also called upon not to pass the draft Digital Security Act saying it will gravely affect journalistic freedoms and seriously curtail democracy in Bangladesh.While placing its report, Imran Ahmed, chief of the parliamentary body, suggested the inclusion of the definition of “spirit of Liberation War” under Section 21.The parliamentary committee in its final report yesterday recommended some minor changes to sections 21, 25, 32 and 43, among others.On April 9, the Digital Security Bill, 2018 was placed in parliament amid growing concerns among journalists and rights activists that freedom of the press and expression would be seriously jeopardized if the bill was passed unchanged.