Clauses of the Cyber Security Act (CSA) that pose threats to freedom of expression will be re-examined, said Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology Adviser Nahid Islam yesterday.
He made this statement to reporters following a meeting with ICT Division officials in Agargaon, Dhaka.
“In our primary discussion, we have agreed that the clauses of the Cyber Security Act that are controversial will have to be reconsidered.”
“We will sit with the law ministry in this regard. Even if the law remains, we will ensure that it does not hinder freedom of expression.”
CSA, which came into effect in 2023, has generated significant concern regarding its potential impact on freedom of expression in the country.
The act replaced the much-criticised Digital Security Act of 2018, but many of the controversial provisions were retained or rephrased, raising questions about its implications for journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens.
In addition, Nahid said the youth must be actively involved in the ICT ministry.
“We are thinking about putting together a specialised team with IT experts from home and abroad who are willing to work on novel ideas.”
He said that it would be beneficial to reach out to Bangladeshi youths studying abroad and developing specific skill sets in order for them to return home and participate in the nation-building process.
“We are talking about overall structural reforms, which I hope will be implemented in all ministries.”
The ICT adviser further said the ministry would start working again with startups whose funding was halted due to their support of the student movement.
He also said legal action would be taken against those involved in the countrywide shutdown of the internet during the student movement.
“Access to the free flow of information is a basic human right. Those involved in the internet shutdown committed human rights violations.”
