Digital Security Bill in JS for passage

A parliamentary standing committee on Monday placed its report on the much-talked-about Digital Security Bill to parliament recommending life term or a fine of Tk 1 crore or both for breaching official secrecy. 
Parliamentary standing committee on post, telecommunication and ICT chairman Imran Ahmed placed the report before the sitting of parliament with speaker Shirin Sharmin Chadhury in the chair.
The Editors’ Council on Sunday in a statement rejected the Digital Security Bill as the Sections 8, 21, 25, 28, 29, 31, 32, and 43 of the bill posed serious threats to freedom of expression and media operation.
Section 32(1) said that any individual would be punished with imprisonment for 14 years or a fine of Tk 25 lakh or both for committing any offence under the Official Secrets Act, 1923 through digital device.
Section 32(2) said that any individual would be punished with imprisonment for life term or fine of Tk 1 crore or both for repeating the offence.
Section 21 said anyone would be sentenced to up to 1o years in jail or fined Tk 1 crore or both for ‘spreading negative propaganda against
the Liberation War or the Father of the Nation’, using digital devices or instigating to do so.
Any individual might be jailed for life term or fined Tk 3 crore for repeating the offence, it said.
According to Section 25, a person may be punished with jail for three years or a fine of Tk 3 lakh or both if s/he is found to have deliberately published or broadcast in a website or electronic form something which is attacking or intimidating or which can make someone feel disgruntled; knowingly published or broadcast false and distorted (full or partial) information to annoy or humiliate someone; knowingly published or broadcast false and distorted (full or partial) information to tarnish the image of the state or to spread rumours.
Any repetition of the offence would warrant up to five years in jail or Tk 10 lakh fine or both, it said.
Section 21(1) said that individuals would be punished with 10 years’ jail or Tk 1 crore fine or both for spreading propaganda against the ‘Liberation War, Bangabandhu, National Anthem and national flag.’
Any repetition of the offence would warrant life term or Tk 3 crore in fine or both, it said.
As per the bill, digital forensic labs and a digital security agency under the prime minister’s office will be set up while a national computer emergency response team and an 11-member digital security council, headed by the prime minister, will be constituted.
The much-debated Digital Security Bill was tabled in parliament on April 9 amid growing concerns from journalists and rights activists over some contents of the law.
Amid concerns of journalists, the parliamentary standing committee first invited the stakeholders on May 22 to have their views on the bill.
Attending the meeting, journalist leaders voiced concern over section 8, 21, 25, 28, 29, 31, 32, and 43 of the bill.
They said these sections would greatly hamper the freedom of speech.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net