The Crime Desk: Transparency International Bangladesh-TIB has recommended that the draft Cyber Security Ordinance-2024 be reviewed by stakeholders and the process be completed in an inclusive manner before it is issued.
Requesting at least a month for this work, the organization said in a statement on Tuesday that if this ordinance is issued without adequate analysis and inclusive review by the relevant stakeholders, its main purpose will be undermined.
TIB officially recommended the matter to the interim government last Sunday.
The organization’s executive director, Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, said in the letter, “The decision to repeal the Cyber Security Act, which was used as a tool to suppress dissent and silence the media, has brought relief to all citizens, which is one of the public welfare-oriented steps of the interim government.”
The draft of the ‘Cyber Security Ordinance-2024’ has been prepared by the Law and Rules Branch of the Information and Communication Technology Department, repealing laws that violate freedom of speech and expression.
Iftekharuzzaman said, “TIB hopes that this ordinance will be enacted to ensure cybersecurity and formulate necessary provisions for the prevention and suppression of cyber crimes and the investigation and execution of judicial proceedings for cyber crimes.”
“Like the previous Digital Security Act, the Cyber Security Act, whether there is a possibility of creating obstacles to the speech and expression of citizens in this ordinance requires a proper review.”
The TIB executive director said, “This draft was made available on the website for only three working days for review, which has ended and has already been removed. Moreover, the Advisory Council gave initial approval to the draft on December 12, according to media sources.”
“If an ordinance as important as the Cyber Security Ordinance 2024 is issued without adequate analysis and inclusive review by the relevant stakeholders, it risks defeating its main purpose. In this context, I call for an extension of at least one month for the review of all relevant stakeholders and experts and for the issuance of the ordinance through an inclusive process based on its analysis.”
