Phone tapping should be under legal framework, accountability

Speakers at a citizen dialogue in Dhaka have laid emphasis on bringing phone tapping and other surveillance activities under a legal framework and ensuring accountability throughout the process, instead of stopping those completely.

According to them, governments across the world use the call interception and surveillance mechanisms for state purposes through a system of accountability. But the Awami League government used it in Bangladesh to hold on to power and suppress dissents.

The statements were made at the citizen dialogue – titled ‘Interception, Right to Privacy, and Freedom of Speech’ – at the office of Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) on Saturday, hosted by the Civil Reform Group-Bangladesh 2.0. 

BASIS president Fahim Mashroor, also the coordinator of the hosting entity, presented a keynote speech on the legal obligations over right to privacy and interception.

Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), shed light on the surveillance-based state structure in Bangladesh and said it was solely intended to cement the grip on power. “No institutions are left without politicisation. The interception system was used as a tool to hold on to power, while the surveillance system was to suppress dissents.” 

He questioned the necessity of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Center (NTMC) and the Department of Telecommunications and advised for revamping the entire system. 

If those who will assume the state power in future, or who are in power now cannot break free from the power-retention culture, the result will be the same, he feared.

Addressing the programme, Prof BM Mainul Hossain, a teacher of Dhaka University’s IT institute, said the interception system is used globally for investigation and national security interests, but not on the citizens. It is regarded as lawful interception, which requires regular assessment. 

“If the NTMC or the Department of Telecommunications are disbanded, it will require other agencies to take over the interception activities. It is necessary to carry out reforms in the process or method, instead of stopping these activities,” he said. 

Sara Hossain, honorary executive director of Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), said there should be discussions on the interception system and maintain international standards. 

Zahed-Ur Rahman, a political analyst, highlighted a connection between the rise of autocracy and the surveillance system. He said the Awami League government took the nation back to the stone age, enacted laws to commit barbarism, and enslaved the people. 

Zonayed Saki, chief coordinator of Ganosamhati Andolan, called for publishing a white paper over the call interception system and booking the individuals who were associated with the system during the previous government. 

Asaduzzaman Fuwad, joint member secretary of AB Party, laid emphasis on activating the parliamentary committees so that they can ensure accountability of the interception system. 

Joining the programme virtually, journalist Zulkarnain Saer Khan highlighted that all the countries across the world use the interception system, but refrain from disrupting the citizen’s activities. 

Fahim Mashroor moderated the programme,where author Faiz Ahmed Tayyab, journalists Golam Mortuza and Ashraf Qaiser, Tech Global Institute executive director Sabhanaz Rashid, lawyer Miti Sanjana, Bangladesh Mobile Phone Consumers Association president Mohiuddin Ahmed, and IT expert Zakaria Swapan spoke.