THE Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in a letter to the Bangladesh President has expressed deep concern about the Digital Security Act 2018, which was passed by the Parliament on September 18, and urged him to return it to Parliament for a review afresh.
If this legislation was allowed to become a law, it would violate constitutional guarantee as regards free expression. The law is claimed to be against social media like facebook etc. But the truth is, this law will create panic in the media. So it is not only against digital media.
The journalists have to realise that by choosing to be party activists of the government party for extra benefits the journalists are divided. Those who are not government party activists are mostly BNP activists. We do not think journalists are independent and free. As a result, the government does not see the journalist as force of free press.
Media reports said, CPJ, an independent press freedom advocacy organization, urged the President to exercise his constitutional authority to return the legislation to Parliament for revisions that would eliminate these dangers. One of the most worrisome provisions of the act is an amendment added at the last minute in Section 43, which will allow police to arrest or search individuals without a warrant.
CPJ especially outlined the concerns that have been expressed repeatedly by the community of journalists in Bangladesh. Section 57 has been repeatedly used to imprison journalists in defamation cases. Government ministers had previously acknowledged that police have misused Section 57, and had promised that procedures would be established to prevent this.
Meanwhile, rights activists, lawyers and journalists have expressed concern over the passes of the Digital Security Bill in the Parliament and urged the President not to assent to the controversial and repressive contents of the Bill. It is also contradictory to the core spirit of the independence of Bangladesh and undermines the fundamental constitutional pledges.
The appeal to the President for any role play itself reveals how helpless the journalists have made themselves as party activists of political parties. The President cannot do anything unless advised by the Prime Minister. His role in forcing the Chief Justice Sinha out of the country was not admirable.
