Cybersecurity Concerns: Civil Society and Politicians Call for Revisions to New Ordinance
Political leaders and civil society representatives have expressed dissatisfaction with the extent of changes made in the newly enacted Cyber Security Ordinance 2025. While welcoming several provisions in the law—such as protection against false accusations within 24 hours, measures against online gambling and cyber fraud, and faster action on harassment of women and children—concerns have been raised over unchecked government authority and the lack of clarity regarding state surveillance.
The observations were made at a discussion organized by Nagorik Oikya on Saturday morning, July 5, at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity in Segunbagicha.
In the keynote presentation, Sakib Anwar, Organizing Secretary of Nagorik Oikya, emphasized the need for further revisions to the ordinance to address controversial provisions and urged consultation with experts and stakeholders to ensure it acts as both a protector of cyber security and freedom of expression.
Nagorik Oikya President Mahmudur Rahman Manna said, “The provision for arrest without a warrant in the new ordinance must be repealed.” He also criticized the government for various issues including mob justice and called for the complete repeal of the Cyber Security Act 2015. “CEC Nurul Huda destroyed the electoral system. If possible, put him on trial and sentence him. But mob violence is unacceptable and is now sweeping across the country,” he remarked.
Speaking as a guest expert, technologist Fahim Mashroor said, “Over the past 15 years, various state intelligence agencies have illegally accessed digital devices, violating the law. Institutions like NTMC have spent hundreds of crores of taka on surveillance software like Pegasus. Yet we still don’t know what type of software is currently in use. A white paper should be published on this. The new cyber security law makes no mention of state surveillance.”
He added, “While the government has considered many issues while drafting this ordinance—making it an improvement over its predecessor—the inclusion of punishment for illegal access to systems could be misused, especially by state agencies themselves.” Referring to past incidents, he said, “Intelligence agencies and institutions like NTMC have accessed telecom systems and leaked phone conversations, violating privacy. They have misused such provisions the most.”
BNP Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan, participating in the discussion, said, “Many provisions in the law are vague, and that vagueness allows those enforcing the law to oppress the public. There should be neutral individuals or their representatives in the oversight commissions to prevent abuse of power.”
He continued, “Although some controversial clauses have been removed, they appear in other forms elsewhere in the law, which is unreasonable. In my opinion, every law should include a provision to punish those who intentionally misapply the law or misuse it to oppress the public.”
He reiterated, “The required changes to the Cyber Security Ordinance have not been fully implemented.” He also demanded that law enforcement officers who harass innocent people or make deliberate errors should be held accountable under the law. “Each law must have strict provisions to ensure that anyone misusing authority is brought under accountability,” he added.
Nazrul also criticized the weak enforcement of the country’s labor laws, stating, “Before the unification of the Labour Act and Labour Court Act in 2006, there were many labour laws in the country. If you read the law, it seems perfect. But its implementation is extremely disappointing.”
Other speakers at the event included Bazlur Rashid Firoz, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Socialist Party (BASAD); Nazmul Haque Prodhan, General Secretary of Bangladesh JASAD; Didarul Bhuiyan, Financial Coordinator of the Reformist Movement; Shahidullah Kaiser, General Secretary of Nagorik Oikya; and Akram Hussain, Chief Coordinator of Dhaka North Metropolitan of the National Citizens Party (NCP).
