There is a potential of export of about 5 billion dollars in 2025 from the IT sector. But this will be difficult to achieve if it is hampered by data protection or other laws. Speakers opined so in a Facebook seminar on ‘Online Freedom and Business Environment’ organized by the US Embassy on Sunday (February 5).
At the seminar, Oracle’s country managing director Rubaba Daula said, ‘There has been a lot of progress in digitization in the last few years. Online freedom is crucial to digitization.’
She said, ‘It is not possible to do data protection through the implementation of the law. Three things are important here and they are — where the data is being stored, how it is being stored and who can see the data. We need to understand that information should be protected.’
The IT sector has expanded and increased from $2.5 billion in 2008 to nearly $200 billion in 2021. It will stand at around $5 billion in 2025. But if there are obstacles in this sector, it will not be possible to achieve it, he said.
Rubaba Daulah said, ‘We need to understand what sensitive information is and what is not. Many Bangladeshi companies operate in the global arena and need access to information. We need to understand how to secure data and at the same time not be a barrier to business expansion.’
US Ambassador Peter D. Haas said, ‘We all face the challenge of adapting the legal and regulatory frameworks of our countries — in the United States, in Bangladesh and around the world, to keep pace with technological advances and adapt to these changes.’
Expressing concern over the draft data protection law, he said, “As we value partnership with the Bangladesh government, we have raised our concerns directly with the government.”
Each country must take into account its local context in making laws.’ But we urge all countries, including Bangladesh, to uphold clear international standards in making laws, he said.
The UK Ambassador Robert Chatterton Dickson said, ‘Balancing freedom of speech and policy making is a big challenge today. It applies to all countries.’
It is important for Bangladesh. Because, the digital economy has grown a lot here, he said, ‘If the companies that are working here are not hindered, the potential is very high.’
Iftekharuzzman, executive director of Transparency International, Bangladesh, said, ‘There is a lack of transparency in many aspects of the draft Data Protection Act. For example, what is meant by personal data is not clearly stated in the draft law.
Besides, those who will supervise this law, they should be an independent organization, he said.
