The Cyber Protection Ordinance 2024 has sparked widespread debate among stakeholders due to its potential implications for civic freedom and governance in the digital space.
VOICE, a rights-based organisation advocating for digital safety and human rights, today organised a webinar titled “Cyber Protection Ordinance 2024: Challenges and Way Forward.” The event brought together prominent rights activists, journalists, academicians, lawyers, and digital rights experts, CSOs who discussed the implications of the approved ordinance, accoridng to a statement.
The webinar was moderated by Saimum Reza Talukder, prosecutor at the International Crimes Tribunal and adjunct faculty at BRAC University
Speakers analysed the broad scope and ambiguities of the cyberbullying clause and undefined hate speech, implications for journalists with risks to press freedom and self-censorship, and state control via National Cyber Security Council.
The ordinance's inclusion of a National Cyber Security Council, headed by the government, raises additional concerns about excessive state control over digital spaces. While the government claims checks and balances are in place, the relevant stakeholders worry about the negative implications for freedom of expression, press freedom, and human rights.
Concerns were raised over warrantless searches, arrests, and surveillance provisions.
Rezaur Rahman Lenin, who is a socio-political researcher and a human rights activist, said: “A person faces serious violation of human rights when held captive without any judicial process or trial. This new law is a repetition of the culture of internment that the previous government had established and practiced.”
Saimum Reza Talukder said: “There was a public demand for dismissal of the cyber security act as it was weaponised to torture. But this cyber safety act looks like a shorter version of the old one.”
Sultan Mahmud, Deputy Editor, Amar Desh demanded that all cases hanging under the previous sections and clauses be quashed right away.
Mohammad Tauhidul Islam, director, Communication and Outreach at Transparency International Bangladesh doubted the effectiveness of having just one law for three issues – content moderation, cyber security, and cybercrime.
VOICE Executive Director Ahmed Swapan Mahmud said: “Laws should be pro-people. We hope that in future the law-making process will be done in line with constitutional obligations and international human rights principals. Less power to intelligence agencies rather focus should be on public interest.”
VOICE urged the government to ensure that citizens take part in the process of lawmaking as that will only improve the quality and legitimacy of the laws and policies by ensuring that they reflect the interests of the people. It is of pivotal importance that the new law safeguard press freedom and human rights defenders, as opposed to the Cyber Security Act which criminalised freedom of expression; in particular targeting journalists, who were critical of corruption and other irregularities and wrongdoings of the previous government.