Experts have said that the recently passed digital laws in parliament still pose risks to freedom of expression and personal privacy. They stated that, in the interest of protecting citizens’ rights, each law needs to be reviewed again.
These remarks were made at a press conference held on Tuesday (27 April) at the Bangladesh–China Friendship Conference Centre, on the occasion of the Digital Rights Asia-Pacific Bangladesh National Conference 2026.
Speakers alleged that the laws were passed quickly without the input of stakeholders and that several provisions still allow extensive digital surveillance. They also commented that such provisions may become a concern for citizens’ freedoms in the future.
In his statement, Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, Executive Director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), said that the new laws contain various inconsistencies and contradict democratic values as well as the election commitments of different political parties. According to him, older laws have been brought back under new names, which has not significantly contributed to empowering people.
He further said that many members of parliament themselves had previously been victims of misuse of such laws, and yet the enactment of similar laws remains disappointing.
Susan Vize, Head of Representation of UNESCO in Bangladesh, said that every law needs to be assessed in light of societal realities. She added that the new government should review the laws again and take the opportunity to strengthen human rights protections.
Muhammad Anwar Uddin, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, said the laws are necessary and important. If there are any issues, they can be amended later, and the government is already working to improve them.
Meta representative Rujan Sarwar said they have been discussing the data governance law for four years. Although there are concerns over certain provisions such as local data storage requirements, the Data Protection Act passed in parliament is positive for platforms like Meta and Google.
Responding to a question about attacks on media outlets in the country allegedly triggered by provocative content spread via Facebook, he said there is room for further improvement in this area. He also said Meta will increase engagement with local communities.
Telenor Asia representative Pratyush Rao said they have been monitoring the Telecommunication Amendment Act for a long time. In particular, Section 97A is important. He said they want to observe how the structure, directives, and authority of the new body will function.
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Commissioner Mahmud Hossain said that laws are sometimes influenced by various interest groups, which creates a trust deficit. However, BTRC tries to formulate policies through consultation with all stakeholders.
In the third panel discussion of the conference, experts including Prof. Dr. Ananya Raihan, Executive Chair of D.Net, discussed artificial intelligence governance. They emphasized the importance of meaningful dialogue and participatory processes in formulating AI policies.
In the concluding session of the event, young Tech Policy Fellows on Digital Rights presented their research topics and opinions.
DBTech/MAS/OR
