Digital Security Act made effective despite controversies

President Abdul Hamid on Monday gave his assent to the Digital Security Bill 2018 amid criticism from different stakeholders of the country.

The president’s press secretary Joynal Abedin told Prothom Alo that the president has signed the security bill into law.

The parliament passed the bill on 26 September.

Following parliament’s clearance to the bill, the Editors’ Council, the platform of the editors of the daily newspapers in Dhaka, in a joint statement published on 29 September presented their collective arguments why it opposed the Digital Security Act.

The council expressed concern specifically over nine sections of the act -- 8, 21, 25, 28, 29, 31, 32, 43 and 53 -- terming them dangerous for the media and freedom of speech and expression.