Staff Reporter :
The leaders of the left leaning political parties on Thursday rejected the draft of the Digital Security Act 2018, passed in the Cabinet on Monday.
It is just a threat to the freedom of press and the fundamental rights of the people. It should be erased immediately, they said.
The leaders passed these comments at a press conference in the capital’s Mukti Bhaban on Thursday morning.
The leftist parties will hold a protest rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka on February 4 in this connection.
Communist Party of Bangladesh, Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal and Ganatantrik Bam Morcha organised the press conference.
Mashrefa Mishu, Convener of Ganatantrik Bam Morcha, read out the written statement at the press conference.
Terming the draft Digital Security Act severer than a black law, they said, this law will not only guarantee security to the ruling parties, it will also guard the corrupt people.
“The proposed law is but an indirect indemnity for the corrupt,” said Mujahidul Islam Selim, President of Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB).
He said there is a Right to Information Act in the country, but the draft of digital security act is against it.
“We will continue our movement and will not let the government to pass it in the Parliament. If government does it, that will be unfair,” he said.
This will torpedo investigative journalism, said Saiful Haque, General Secretary of Biplobi Workers Party.
The draft of the law was formulated without taking any opinion from any quarter of the society. This act was prepared depending on bureaucrats to implement the desires of the government and for strengthening governments control, he said.
“The act is contradictory to the Constitution and democratic rights,” he said. If the act is passed in the Parliament, freedom of expression will be squeezed more, he said.
Earlier on January 29, the Cabinet approved the draft of the Digital Security Act-2018.
