Parliament Unanimously Passes 'Cyber Security (Amendment) Act, 2026'

The Jatiya Sangsad has unanimously passed the 'Cyber Security (Amendment) Act, 2026' by omitting Section 20 from the original 'Cyber Security Act, 2026'. The bill was passed on Tuesday, June 30, following its presentation by Posts and Telecommunications Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam during the second and first budget session of the 13th Parliament.

Proposals to send the bill for public scrutiny and vetting committees were rejected by voice vote. According to the statement of objects and reasons, the amendment was necessitated because the Ministry of Home Affairs has already introduced a separate, detailed, and specialized law titled 'Gambling Prevention Act, 2026' to prohibit both online and offline gambling and betting. Section 20 was removed to prevent overlapping and legal complexities between multiple laws for the same offense. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed stated in parliament, "Since the Gambling Prevention Act has been passed, there is no further need to keep gambling-related sections in the Cyber Security Act. Only this section will be excluded from the Cyber Security Act 2026. This is the entirety of the amendment." The law will come into effect immediately.

Notably, Section 20 of the Cyber Security Act, passed recently on April 10, 2026, classified the creation, operation, participation, promotion, or advertising of gambling portals, apps, or devices in cyber space as a punishable offense. The section carried a penalty of up to 2 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to BDT 1 crore, or both. Strict penalties for this offense were also part of the Digital Security Act 2018 and the Cyber Security Act 2023.

Debate on Abuse of Power and Women's Safety in Parliament: Before the passage of the bill, opposition and independent lawmakers raised strong demands to ensure women's security in cyberspace and warned the government against using cyber laws as tools to harass citizens or suppress political opposition.

• Rumin Farhana (Independent, Brahmanbaria-2): Highlighting women's safety in cyberspace, she stated that women in politics, public figures, and media professionals face constant cyber bullying and harassment. She urged the government to focus on keeping cyberspace safe for women.

• Shahgahan Chowdhury (Chittagong-15): Pointing to the previous regime, he noted how university students and political activists were harassed under cyber laws for speaking against the government, demanding assurances that the new amendment won't replicate such abuses.

• Mohammad Abdul Gafur (Jamaat, Kushtia-2): Questioned whether there are sufficient safeguards against the abuse of power. He demanded clarity on the level of independent judicial oversight regarding investigations, data seizures, content removal, and citizen data collection.

• G.M. Nazrul Islam (Satkhira-4), Mohammad Zohirul Islam (Chittagong-16), and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Iqbal (Kishoreganj-5) also deliberated on the bill.

• Shofiqur Rahman (Leader of the Opposition): Acknowledging the social importance of the law, particularly for women's safety, he noted that past experiences have left citizens fearful, emphasizing the need to ensure its fair and proper implementation.

Responding to the opposition's concerns, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed assured that the cabinet has already discussed separate measures to counter character assassination, misinformation, rumors, defamatory content, and attempts to disrupt social harmony on social media. Necessary amendments or fresh bills regarding these issues are currently being scrutinized and will be introduced later.

//DBTech/DPB/MUIM//