Journalists say concerns over Digital Security Act have ‘come true’

Journalists have demonstrated in Dhaka demanding the formation of a committee to amend the Digital Security Act and a judicial commission to investigate its abuse.

They also called for the arrest of those responsible for the murder of their colleague Burhan Uddin Mojakker in Noakhali.

The leaders of journalists working in the capital were among 50 who joined the human-chain programme at SAARC Fountain in Karwan Bazar on Tuesday.

They carried placards that read “No to Digital Security Act”.

Aktar Hossain, former joint secretary of the Dhaka Union of journalists, said when the law was being formulated they expressed concerns that powerful people can abuse it.

“The Editors’ Council demanded amendment of the law, but it was passed unchanged. The concerns of the Editors’ Council have come true,” the journalist leader said.

“Journalists are afraid of updating their [Facebook] status today. They fear that they will face case or imprisonment under the Digital Security Act if they post (to Facebook). You’ve got proof that it happened recently,” he said.

“Journalists believe in freedom of speech and the freedom is expressed in their writings; but the Digital Security Act has injected fear into them. So we want this law to be amended,” Aktar added.

Raju Ahmed, former general secretary of Dhaka Reporters Unity, said a number of sections of the Digital Security Act go against the idea of free press, and they work as a tool to curb the freedom of journalists.

The freedom of speech and media has been hampered by the law since its came into being.

Journalists are being kept in jail for a long time in cases under the Digital Security Act, which is being used to bully them into stopping their work, said Raju.

Dipan Dewan, senior correspondent of Banglavision, presented their three demands.

Golam Mujtaba Dhruba, former executive member of the Dhaka Union of Journalists, journalist Mostafizur Rahman Sumon, Ekattor TV’s Senior Correspondent Nadia Sharmin, Banglavision’s Senior Correspondent Nasirullah, GTV’s Rubina Yasmin and Iqbal Anik, News24’s Nayeem Al Zico, Boishakhi TV’s Ashikur Rahman, Independent TV’s Rezwanul Haque, and NTV Online reporter Masud Rayhan Polash, among others, attended the programme.