Journos say on revised Digital Security Bill Jul 16

Changes made to the much-debated Digital Security Bill has been handed to journalists for opinion, which they will be reflecting at a high-level meeting July 16.

The Law ministry sat with the Editors’ Council, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and Association of Television Channel Owners (ATCO) today.

There, at the meeting held at Jatiya Sangsad, they were handed some changes brought about in the Digital Security Bill 2018 and asked to express their views.

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Leaders of the three journalist forums said they will express their views over the changes later following discussion within their respective forums.

The meeting was presided over by Awami League lawmaker Imran Ahmed, chief of parliamentary standing committee on post, telecom and ICT – the body that is currently scrutinising the bill before passage in the parliament.

He told reporters that the newspaper editors and journalists have been invited over for a second round of meeting on July 16 to reflect their opinion on the changes.

Emerging form the meeting Law Minister Anisul Huq said we have brought some changes in proposed Digital Security Act, which were necessary.

Previously, after the first round of meeting on May 21, the law minister acknowledged the serious concerns placed from on behalf of the journalists and ordered a revision.

The bill has raised concerns among the general that it will throw a gag over freedom of expression, a concern that several foreign envoys have also shared.