The council demanded that the authorities concerned to take initiatives to make the law minister’s statement legally effective immediately.
“We have feared such when the act was being formulated. It is no exaggeration to say that in some cases the implementation of the Digital Security Act is more concerning than what we feared,” said the statement.
Journalists and free speech advocates are constantly being harassed and tortured by the execution of the Digital Security Act, Sampadak Parishad (Editors’ Council) said in a statement on Saturday.
In a statement, the council said, “Law Minister Anisul Huq said in a recent interview with the BBC that the law would be reviewed. He said arrangements will be made so that no arrest is made before the investigation if there is a case under the Digital Security Act.”
Welcoming the law minister’s statement, the council demanded that the authorities concerned to take initiatives to make the law minister’s statement legally effective immediately.
“Earlier, we, the Sampadak Parishad, mentioned the objectionable sections of the Digital Security Act and demanded cancellation of those sections. If our demands were considered, we would not have faced the current situation,” the statement said.
“Now we think that just reviewing or amending the Digital Security Act will not solve the problem. We think it’s time to do away with the Digital Security Act altogether. We urge the government to consider the matter with sensitivity.
“By the implementation of this law, the image of our country is being tarnished nationally and internationally. It’s not happening through the words or writings of those against whom the law is being applied,” the statement added.
Mentioning that there were questions on how crimes on digital platforms would be dealt with without having a relevant law, the statement said there were already laws in place which could be used.
“The question that might arise, if there is no digital security law, which law can be used to take action against crimes occurring on digital platforms?
“These crimes can be prosecuted under the existing laws of the country and the Information Technology Act of 2006. Apart from this, a new section can be added to this on the basis of the recommendations of a committee comprising expert lawyers of the country. However, the opinion of the media representatives must be taken into consideration in this case,” it said.