NTMC and DoT should be abolished to protect citizens’ privacy

A whitepaper should be published about Pegasus and other intercepting tools

The right of civil privacy is being arbitrarily taken away by the state structure using Israeli technology in the country. We don't even know who is using what software, when and how their privacy is being stolen. The sector concerned has given utmost importance to the formulation of necessary laws and policies to protect the privacy of individuals and establish their right to personal information. At the same time, the National Telecommunication Monitoring Center (NTMC) under the Ministry of Home Affairs and the BTRC as an independent commission should be empowered by abolishing Directorate of Technology-DoT to immediately break free from the traps of the past. What kind of software and technology have been introduced in the country in the past few years to suppress opposition and suppress civil rights. Prominent persons have demanded the publication of the white paper of which tools have been used in intercepting citizens’ personal and private information. Besides, if intercepting is needed for state security, they emphasized on making it mandatory to take the permission of the High Court as a state agency and not the government.

The speakers highlighted these points in the nearly three-hour civil dialogue organized by the Civil Reform Group Bangladesh 2.0 on Saturday. Human rights activist barrister Sara Hossain, IID Governing Body founder Sayeed Ahmed, political analyst Dr Zaheed Ur Rahman, TRB executive director Iftekharuzzaman, journalist Golam Murtaza, Ashraf Qaiser, were present as panelists in the dialogue on privacy rights and freedom of speech in intercepting, right to privacy and freedom of speech in New Bangladesh moderated by Fahim Mashroor, former president of BASIS. Information Technology Journalist Zakaria Swapan, Politician Junaid Saki, Cyber ​​Expert Sumon Ahmed Sabir, President of Mobile Phone Consumers Association Mohiuddin Ahmed, Dhaka University Teacher and Information Technology Expert BM Mainul Hossain, Barrister Niti Sanjana, AB Party Joint General Secretary Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuad, Rashtrachinta Member Didarul Islam Bhuiyan, technology entrepreneur Fida Haque, IID founder CEO Sayeed Ahamed and others spoke at the dialogue.

In addition, investigative expatriate Bangladeshi journalists and analysts Zulkarnain Saer Khan and Tech Global Institute Executive Director Sabhanaz Rashid Dia also participated in virtually.

In his speech, Transparency International Executive Director Iftekhar Zaman said, reforming the government agencies like NTMC and DoT which have been involved in this corruption for the past few years or appointing new people will not solve the problem. These two institutions must be abolished now. If there is, a separate commission will have to make new regulations for that, He said there is no need for NTMC and DoT. State security and crowd suppression are not the same thing.

Human rights activist barrister Sara Hussain said that there have been many cases of human rights violations in the past few years by using guns in the courtroom. During the interim government, as before, irrelevant and weak cases and statements of various defendants on remand were published in the media. She also raised questions about the moral ground of it.

Professor BM Mainul Hossain of Dhaka University's Institute of Information Technology said that investigations and national security are being investigated all over the world. It is not about citizens. It's called legalese. If there is a legal backlog, what will happen, to whom the information will go, whose permission will be required, these should be regularly audited. If NTMC or DOT is closed, then the work will be done by another organization. So instead of stopping them, the process or method should be changed. If any law of the country is not in accordance with international standards, then it should be changed.

Gholam Mortuza said, we want to know from the interim government about the Israeli surveillance technology products, including Pegasus, under whose direction, how and what were purchased. In the name of protecting national security, the nation must be told how they were used, who used those, and whose personal information was stolen. As an ordinary citizen I don't want to be terrorized by technology. I don't want to depend on Indian technicians. They do not file murder cases in the name of the criminals of the previous government; I want to identify the criminals in the real crime.

Dr. Zaheed Ur Rahman said, we are legitimately being monitored for commercial reasons. Thought policing is underway. There is a link between interception and being self-confident. So, everyone should be vocal about it.

On the other hand, AB Party Joint General Secretary Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuad commented that they should express their regret to the nation by publishing their white paper of their failure as citizens.

Ashraf Qaiser said, 20 days after the change of government, we are still looking for signals. Disputes arise from excesses. The excess money of the budget of Bangladesh should not go out of the country. This interim government wants the abolition of NTMC and DoT. Then the money can be invested in primary schools and health sector of the country. The reaction in this country has decreased. People have become very civilized. A national television anchor asked if I was going to vote on the 7th. But this private matter was by no means a subject to be asked in public. The presenter is now in DB custody.

Politician Junaid Saki said, "For the last 15 years, the fascist government has used the entire state structure to enter people's privacy and personal affairs." We want to know who is hacking people's phones, accessing other people's privacy. Bangladesh now stands at the juncture where democratic transition will take place, where there will be accountability. The youth have made it a national goal. There is a need for a commission which will have representation from different sections of the people. 

Mohiuddin Ahmed, president of the Mobile Phone Consumers Association, said that BTRC has become a place of looting. It has already become DoT. So, DoT should be brought under BTRC. But the state minister has brought the commission under the ministry. Social media doesn't respect our personal data protection, even though he claims it a lot.

Md Taiyab opined that not only the law but also the courts should be reformed. Also, Didarul Islam Bhuiyan, a member of Rashtrachinta, opined that law enforcement is necessary.

Technologist Zakaria Swapan said there will be a need for stronger policing against bad actors. But blackmailing another person with this data should be stopped. Its practice should start from home. I have no expectations from the government. I want another mass uprising by the youth of the mass uprising. This will be Privacy 2.0. Video cannot be played if the screen is blank. Can't take selfies often. Everybody must swear not to tell lies.