Digital Security Bill not to gag journalists: PM

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday claimed that the passage of the Digital Security Bill was meant to check cybercrimes and not to gag the media.
She said that the journalists giving no false information should not be concerned about it.
‘The whole world is facing cyber security crisis and we have passed the bill on to control cybercrimes,’ said Hasina, also the Awami League president, at a press conference at Ganabhaban on her performance in the United Nations General Assembly. 
Replying to a query about the concerns of the Editors’ Council and other journalists over some sections of the bill parliament passed on September 19, Hasina said that journalists who would not give false information should not be concerned about it.
‘Those journalists who are looking for our faults before the next general election have become worried after the passage of the bill,’ Hasina said.
‘There is nothing new. We have included the existing provisions stipulated in the CrPC [the Code of Criminal Procedure] in the bill,’ she said.
‘I do not understand why the journalists have become so worried about the law,’ she said, ‘I have seen journalists who are eager to publish news against us attended the meeting with the ministers on the bill,’ Hasina said.
‘We should have included a clause in the bill stating that if anyone provides false news, s/he has to prove the allegation. Such clause is there in the UK,’ she said.
Replying to another query on the next general election, the prime minster ruled out any possibility of holding talks with the opposition political parties and said that the next general polls would be held in time.
She expressed hope that all political parties would participate in the election.
She said that it depended on the parties concerned whether they would join the elections or. ‘We will take no step to bring any particular party in the election,’ Hasina said.
She asked why some journalists were so interested to bring those ‘who created anarchies in the name of resisting election in 2014’ in the next polls.
On the floating of new political alliances before the national election, Hasina said, ‘We have appreciated launching of such new alliances and hope that they would participate in the election.’
She said, ‘We are ready to cooperate with the alliances and want that they would hold rallies at Suhrawardy Udyan, without causing sufferings to the people.’
On the ‘election-time government’, the prime minister said that she would form a mini cabinet before 90 days of the expiry of their tenure.
‘We will discuss the issue with our allies and also discuss in the cabinet and with the president,’ she said. 
Replying to a question over conspiracies, the prime minister said, ‘Conspiracies were there and conspiracies would be there but I don’t care.’
Replying to another question, she said that the global community was putting pressure on Myanmar to take Rohingyas back to their homeland.
‘All are worried over the issue. All countries are creating pressure on Myanmar to take the Rohingyas back,’ she said.
Replying to another query on the autobiography of former chief justice Shirendra Kumar Sinha, Hasina said that the government took no steps against him rather his colleagues brought allegations of corruptions and him.
‘I do not want to make any more comment on the issue,’ she said.
Asked if the government would take any legal action against Justice Sinha, Hasina replied that the law would take its own course.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net