Forum for Freedom of Expression Bangladesh (FExB), on Thursday (Aug 29) urged the interim government to repeal the Cyber Security Act immediately and enact democratic, humane, people-friendly and participatory laws and policies. The Forum raised the demand a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) in the capital in the morning, local media reported.
“All the cases filed under repressive Information and Communication Technology Act, 2006, Digital Security Act, 2018 and the Cyber Security Act, 2023, should be canceled. The interim government should issue an ordinance and repeal the Cyber Security Act,” speakers said at the press conference.
They demanded the release of the victims of Information and Communication Technology Act, Digital Security Act and Cyber Security Act. The Cyber Security Act, they said, cannot be amended in any way, it should be repealed.
“The process of formulating the Cyber Security Act was illegal. The Act was proposed without people’s participation and the draft was quickly converted into law,” FExB general secretary Saleem Samad said.
Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) Treasurer Khairuzzaman Kamal, secretary general of PEN International Bangladesh Centre Dr Syeda Aireen Jaman, Rezaur Rahman Lenin and Rezoan Islam also spoke at the press conference.
