Cabinet to discuss Journos’ concerns: Law Minister

FT ONLINE

Editors' Council’s objections to nine sections of the ‘Digital Security Act’ and its demand for amending those will be placed before the cabinet for discussions, said Law Minister Anisul Huq on Sunday.

The Law Minister came up with the information while talking to reporters after a meeting with the Editors’ Council, a forum of newspaper editors, at the Information Ministry.

Law Minister Anisul Huq, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, Posts, Telecommunications and IT Minister Mustafa Jabbar and Prime Minister's Media Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury had a meeting with 13 editors of different newspapers over the recently passed ‘Digital Security Act’.

Anisul Huq said, “There’s a necessity of the act and the Editors’ Council at the meeting agreed over the necessity of section 21 of the act but they demanded amendment to sections 8, 21, 25, 28, 29, 31, 32, 43 and 53.”

“I’ll place their demand at the cabinet meeting and we’ll sit with the Editors’ Council again over the terms of reference to be given by the Cabinet,” he said.

Information Minister Inu said the Editors' Council expressed worries and make objections to some sections of the ‘Digital Security Act’.

“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is committed to ensuring freedom of press and the security of media people. She is also firm over the expansion of the media. To make that happen, we had asked them to sit in a meeting and they respond to our call,” Inu said.

“We’ve made a list of the points of concern of the Editors’ Council in the Act and we need to meet with them again for more discussions,” he said.

“The aim of the law is to combat digital crime with an iron hand. We want to build a safe digital Bangladesh without affecting the media,” he added.

Inu had invited the Sampadak Parishad for talks over their concerns about the much-debated bill after the Council announced it would form a human chain before the Jatiya Press Club on September 29 protesting the passage of the bill.

However, upon the request from the information minister, the Parishad postponed its programme.

On September 22, the Parishad expressed its deep regret that the House passed the Digital Security Bill 2018, which the platform considers to be against media freedom and freedom of speech guaranteed by the constitution.

Earlier on September 16, the Council expressed its surprise, disappointment and shock at the final report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Post, Telecommunication and ICT Ministry on the draft law.

The Council said the report "totally ignored" the concerns expressed by journalists and media organisations.

“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,” the Parishad said in a statement.

After the meeting with the Editors' Council, Inu and Jabbar also held talks with leaders of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), Dhaka Union of Journalists and Dhaka Reporters Unity at the same venue over their concerns about the law. 

Briefing reporters after the meeting, BFUJ President Molla Jalal said the journalist community would launch a stronger protest if the law was not amended in light of their concerns. 

On September 19, parliament passed the bill despite opposition from several lawmakers of the main opposition Jatiya Party.

Journalists and rights activists also expressed serious concerns over the new law, saying it goes against the main spirit of the constitution and that the law will restrict free-thinking, freedom of speech and freedom of expression.

It will also impede independent journalism, they added.

Briefing reporters after the meeting with the Editors' Council, the law minister assured that the Council's objections to nine sections of the law and its demand for amending those would be placed before the cabinet for discussions.