Though the Digital Security Act (DSA) was passed to curb crimes committed using the digital medium, the law is being indiscriminately used against the news media and the political opposition. I have always been against this law. The law is being misused in most cases.
The image of Bangladesh is being tarnished globally due to the Digital Security Act. I saw a news report on Saturday that says that the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has urged to suspend the implementation of the Digital Security Act. Many other human rights organisations have termed the law as anti-human rights. We have been belittled before the world. This is shameful.
Recently Prothom Alo’s journalist Samsuzzaman was accused in a case filed under the Digital Security Act in connection with a news report Prothom Alo Online published. CID picked him up from his residence at the dead of night. Later, another case was filed in which Prothom Alo editor Matiur Rahman was also made accused along with Samsuzzaman. I think filing several cases in connection with an incident is a politically motivated step.
If a day labourer says, “we need independence of [affording] rice” and a newspaper publishes that, as an economist I do not find anything objectionable in it. Every citizen has the right to food, clothing, house, and education and healthcare. Our constitution also ensures the fundamental rights of the citizens.
Cases against journalists have been filed under the Digital Security Act earlier too. This is huge blow to the freedom of expression. That’s why I have been demanding the law be repealed. Such a law is not warranted in any democratic country.
* Professor Muinul Islam is an economist
** The opinion piece originally published in the print edition of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Shameem Reza