Cyber Protection Ordinance: TIB urges govt to ensure further review of draft

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) today urged the interim government to allow at least a month for a comprehensive review and inclusive participation process before promulgating the draft "Cyber Protection Ordinance, 2024".

TIB emphasised that issuing the ordinance without adequate analysis and consultation with relevant stakeholders' risks undermining its intended purpose.

TIB made the recommendation to the interim government in this regard on Sunday.

The organisation's Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said in the letter, "The decision to repeal the Cyber Security Act, which was used as a tool to suppress dissent and silence the media, has brought relief to all citizens, which is one of the public welfare-oriented steps of the interim government. The Law and Rules Branch of the Information and Communication Technology Department has prepared a draft of the "Cyber Protection Ordinance, 2024" by repealing the law that violates freedom of speech and expression.

However, TIB hopes that this ordinance will be enacted to ensure cyber security, formulate necessary provisions for preventing and suppressing cyber crimes, and conducting investigation of cyber crimes and judicial proceedings. On the other hand, it is essential to take into consideration the probabilities that this ordinance, which is similar to the Digital Security Act and the Cyber Security Act, might restrict the freedom of speech and expression of citizens."

The TIB executive director further stated, "This draft was made available on the website for only three working days for review, which has since ended and been removed. According to media sources, the draft has already received initial approval from the Advisory Council on December 12, 2024."

Issuing such an important ordinance like the "Cyber Protection Ordinance, 2024" without sufficient analysis and inclusive feedback from relevant stakeholders carries the risk of disrupting its core objectives, he added.

"In this context, it is kindly requested to allocate a minimum of one month for all relevant stakeholders and experts to engage in a comprehensive review of the draft. This process will ensure that the ordinance is issued only after a careful and inclusive analysis has been undertaken," he also said.