‘The new ’Cyber Security Act’ is being changed by ’changing the Digital Security Act' - there will be no provision for imprisonment for journalists in a defamation case, but a maximum fine of up to Tk 25 lakh.
3 or 6 months imprisonment in default. This sentence will only be served if it is not fined.
The law minister said that the Digital Security Act is being changed. Many clauses of this Act will be added to the new cyber security law, some clauses will be amended.
The law minister said, ‘The sentence of section 29 was imprisonment. It is being completely abolished. Only punishment will be fine.’ If it is not 3 months, there will be 6 months imprisonment. What is the amount of fine? When asked, the minister said, 25 lakh taka.
Is it possible for the common man to pay it, so this law remains the same as before? When a journalist was drawn to the minister's attention, he said, ‘Earlier was the sentence. Prison has been punished. Now only the sentence has been kept. If the law is in the law, the law will be held in the law. If people want compensation, there is no limit to compensation in the law we have. I am answering the question. 100 crore rupees may also be asked for compensation. Those calculations have been estimated at 25 lakh rupees. In this case, a fine of 1 rupee can be also 25 lakhs.’
He said, ‘The most important thing is that there is no imprisonment (in the Khasa law). Why should you (journalists) be arrested? There was no possibility of arrest.’
When asked, he said, ‘No, there will be no arrest.’
Then the minister said, ‘Of course, it is not a prison sentence anymore.’
The fine was 5 lakh earlier. Now, when asked why it is being done 25 lakhs? When asked why the minister said, ‘There has been a lot of 25 lakhs. It is based on the discretion of the wise court. The discretion is used as a lawyer. I know how to use the discretion as a lawyer. The extent of the scope and the damage caused by the person who has filed the case, he can pay the fine, starting from one rupee to 25 lakhs. I think it is not unreasonable.’
We think that the amount of fine is high, the general public is being more arrested - this poison is said to be the case, ‘I am sorry that I could not agree with you. That is because it is very clearly stated that it is very clearly said that it is not possible to cap it, it will not be able to go above 25 lakh.’
Earlier in the morning, the law minister told the media that there was a provision of imprisonment for defamation in the ’Digital Security Act’. The new law would have changed the new law and imposed fines instead of imprisonment. The minister said, "This is a significant change."
The law minister also said that there will be no digital security laws when there is a new cyber security law, he said, as there are poisons in the case of the deo'an case.
Section 29 of the Digital Security Act provides for defamation to be tried. A person who publishes and disseminates defamatory information described in the website or any other electronic format under Section 499 of the Penal Code shall be punished with imprisonment not exceeding three years or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 lakh taka or both. In the new law, the fine has been made Tk 25 lakh or Tk 25 lakh.
in the land of The government has implemented the Digital Security Act in 2018 in the face of opposition, and since then it has been alleged that the Act has been used to suppress dissent.
The law has been the most prominent in the case of dissenting politicians, journalists and teachers, and it is alleged that the proportional use of the law is also high for minorities.
’The demand for the law to be repealed or amended in the country was raised from various quarters, along with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Folker Turk, on April 1, called on the government of Bangladesh to suspend the digital security law immediately.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights, reviewed the Digital Security Act, presented a recommendation to the Bangladesh government in June last year. The recommendations titled ‘OHCHR Technical Note to the Government of Bangladesh on the Review of the Digital Security Act’ are completely repealed and 8 amendments are recommended.
Law Minister Anisul Haque has said several times this year that the Digital Security Act will not be repealed, he has promised to amend the law by September.
It was decided in the cabinet meeting on Monday that the Act will be repealed and the Cyber Security Act-2023 will be made.
