Dhaka Bureau: Final approval has been given to the draft of the proposed Cyber Security Act with four non-bailable clauses for offenses related to illegal access to critical information infrastructure, damage to computers and computer systems, cyber terrorist activities, and hacking.
The approval was given in the cabinet meeting on Monday, August 28. In this context, Law Minister Anisul Haque said that now there is no non-bailable section of the draft law except the technical section. At the end of the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Md. Mahbub Hossain returned to the secretariat and told reporters, “The draft has been finalized with a few changes, including definitions. Sections 17, 19, 27, and 33 are non-bailable.
The rest are bailable. Article 17 deals with unlawful access to critical information infrastructure; Article 19 deals with damage to computers and computer systems; Article 27 deals with cyber terrorist activities; and Article 33 deals with offenses and penalties related to hacking. It may be noted that the government is making a new cyber security law by repealing the controversial Digital Security Act.
This decision was taken in the Cabinet meeting on August 7. The controversial ‘Digital Security Act, enacted in 2018, has been called for at various times. Especially Section 57 is criticized at home and abroad. Various human rights organizations have been demanding the repeal of the law to ensure the freedom of the media, the right to free thought and expression, and above all, the protection of the fundamental rights of people.
