The Telecom and Technology Reporters Network, Bangladesh (TRNB), an organisation of technology-dependent journalists, has recommended the complete repeal of Section 42 of the Cyber Security Act 2023.
They also recommended clarifying the definitions or repealing of Sections 21, 25, 28, 29, and 32. Besides, technology experts have called for the repeal of the existing law rather than amending or revising it.
They have recommended efforts to establish domestic ownership and control over systems and platforms such as cloud systems, data management, data transmission, and data operations.
Speakers made such comments at a roundtable discussion titled “Cyber Security Act: How is the Balance between Security and Freedom of expression?” organised by the TRNB at the Brac Center in the capital on Tuesday.
Addressing the roundtable discussion, Information and Communication Division Secretary Shish Haider Chowdhury said, “Work is ongoing on the Cyber Security Act. The law will be amended after considering the views of all parties involved.
“It is important to examine whether there are any negative aspects in the language of the law. Transparency is a major issue in terms of security. The law should not be repressive. Censorship does not mean that we refrain from saying what we need to say.”
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Chairman Maj Gen (Retd) Md Emdad Ul Bari said, “Cyber security depends on both cognitive and technological domains. At this time, maintaining a balance in data protection and information sharing is not easy.
“Unfortunately, there is a gap between the two, which we are not addressing.”
To secure the integrated “Internet” made up of fragmented networks, there must be top-down coordination and bottom-up collaboration involving everyone.
Similarly, ICT and telecom must be two sides of the same coin, he said, adding that due to a lack of central coordination, work has previously been carried out based on vendor advice, leading to significant gaps.
Robi’s Chief Corporate and Regulatory Officer Mohammed Shahedul Alam said, “As a law student, I understand that there is no digital domain infrastructure in our country. Out of the 60 sections of the Cyber Security Act, 37 sections are related to identifying crimes, with 18 offenses specified.”
He added that Bangladesh is in a good position in terms of global cybercrime. But we are lagging behind in e-governance. So we need to first determine what we need a law for.
“I believe there is no need to amend the existing law. It should be completely repealed and replaced with a new one. The telecom law should be updated or rewritten to incorporate the digital economy," added Shahedul Alam.
Technology expert Sumon Ahmed Sabir said that to fulfill the dreams of the new generation, freedom of expression must be ensured. At the same time, we need to enhance our capabilities alongside technological development.
Former Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) President Syed Almas Kabir said that the lack of data privacy in our country puts our businesses at risk. Therefore, data categorization based on sensitivity needs to be prioritised.
At the same time, laws must be developed with a focus on how much surveillance we can impose on citizens and how we can conduct legal interception. Otherwise, people will attempt to break the law.
Hence, we need to move beyond mere control in the law-making process, he said.
