Editors’ Council ‘shocked’ at draft Digital Security Act

The Editors’ Council says the final report of a parliamentary standing committee on the draft Digital Security Act has surprised, disappointed and shocked it.

“The report has totally ignored the protests and concerns expressed by journalists and media organisations,” the council said in a statement after a meeting in Dhaka on Sunday.  

“We are forced to reject the said report as it suggested no fundamental changes to sections 8,21,25,28,29,31,32, and 43 of the Draft Act that pose serious threats to freedom of expression and media operation,” it said.

The council welcomed the inclusion of the Right to Information Act (RTI) under section 3, but expressed concern at the inclusion of the colonial era Official Secrets Act that it said is in clear contradiction with the RTI.

It urged parliament not to pass the Digital Security Act in its current form, because doing so will “gravely affect journalistic freedoms and seriously curtail democracy in Bangladesh”.