Editors’ Council demand revoking Section 57 of ICT Act

The forum of the print media editors of Bangladesh has demanded of the government to abolish the Information and Communication Technology Act’s Section 57, which has created much controversy in the past few weeks.

The Editors’ Council in a statement on Sunday said the section stood against independent journalism.
 
Their call has come against the backdrop of the arrest and remand of journalist Probir Sikdar.
 
Different quarters including rights and online activists have been demanding repealing Section 57 of the ICT Act, but Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu dismissed such call.
 
The Editors’ Council also voiced the same concern at its meeting on Sunday, said the statement signed by its General Secretary and Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam.
 

It read, “Misuse of the Information and Communication Technology Act’s Section 57 is against independent journalism. The demand to annul this Section and its sub-sections was made in the meeting.”

Section 57 of the ICT Act criminalises ‘publishing fake, obscene or defamatory information in electronic form’.

Offence under this provision is punishable by seven to 14 years in prison. Fine can be as high as Tk 10 million.

The law was passed in 2006 and was amended twice in 2009 and 2013. In the last amendment, offence under Section 57 was made non-bailable and the maximum penalty was extended to 14-year imprisonment.

Rights activists have been vocal against this legal provision, saying this effectively muzzles the freedom of speech and expression.

Journalist Probir Sikdar was arrested and remanded in a case lodged under the ICT Act on charges of defaming the LGRD and cooperatives minister through a Facebook post.
 
Sikdar was released a day after he was sent in police custody for three days, but the rights activists again started demanding revoking of the Section 57 of the Act.
 
Sikdar is the publisher and Editor of Uttaradhikar Ekattur News and Dainik Bangla Ekattur.
 
The Editors’ Council in the statement on Sunday also condemned Sikdar’s arrest and harassment, and expressed deep concern.
 
Critics claim Section 57 contradicts with the freedom of expression that the Constitution guarantees.
 
But Information Minister Inu has made it clear that there was no scope to repeal the Section.
 
“The criticism of the Act is not reasonable. It is not contradictory to the Constitution and laws of Bangladesh,” he said earlier this month.