The government is set to amend the Cyber Security Act again, just three months after its enactment. The revised law will make the legislation more stringent by adding new provisions while also increasing penalties, according to sources at the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division.
According to the sources, the amended law proposes to define four categories—rumours, disinformation, derogatory content and defamatory information—as offences, making those accused of disseminating such content liable to punishment.
In addition, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and other authorised agencies will be brought into the enforcement process alongside law enforcement agencies.
Although the draft law does not explicitly name the other authorised agency, a source at the Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed to Prothom Alo that it refers to the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC).
Sources at the Information and Communication Technology Division said the amended law could be passed during the next session of parliament.
The amended law introduces a new provision (Section 26A), stating that publishing or disseminating rumours and disinformation in cyberspace will constitute a criminal offence. Anyone found guilty of such an offence will face up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to Tk 4 million, or both.
The draft amendment also defines the term “rumour” as any unsubstantiated or unverified information, news or claim that creates, or risks creating, confusion, panic, unrest or social instability among the public.
“Disinformation” is defined as false, distorted or misleading information that is intentionally published or disseminated with the aim of deceiving or harming an individual, the public, an institution or the state.
Several government policymakers told Prothom Alo that the stricter penalties are being introduced to curb disinformation spread through fake videos, audio recordings and misleading images generated using artificial intelligence (AI).
Technology experts, however, say the move marks a return to the era of the Digital Security Act under the Awami League government. They argue that the amendments should not be rushed through and instead should be discussed with stakeholders.
Some legal experts believe the wording and definitions in the new provisions should be as specific as possible. In particular, they warn that without clear standards for determining what constitutes “rumours” and “disinformation”, the implementation of the law could become controversial.
Five years’ imprisonment for defamation and derogatory content
The amendment also adds two new terms to Section 25 of the law. Regarding offences and penalties related to defamation and derogatory content, it states that if any person records, edits, publishes or disseminates any information—including audio, video, audiovisual material, still images, graphics or AI-generated content—with the intention of defaming or degrading another person, it will constitute an offence.
The offence will be punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to Tk 2 million, or both.
If such defamatory or derogatory content is published against a woman or a person under the age of 18, the offender will face up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to Tk 4 million, or both. The explanation of defamation refers to Section 499 of the Penal Code.
A senior official at the Ministry of Home Affairs told Prothom Alo that rumours and disinformation targeting senior government figures, political leaders and people from various professions are being spread on social media, damaging the reputation of both the government and the country. In light of this reality, the existing law is being amended with several new provisions.
Sources, however, said there are differing views within the government over the proposed amendments. Some policymakers support the changes, while others argue they will invite criticism, lead to abuse of the law and trigger international pressure.
The Digital Security Act came into force in 2018 under the Awami League government despite widespread opposition. It was subsequently used repeatedly as a tool to suppress dissent.
After the Awami League government was ousted in the 2024 mass uprising, the interim government repealed the law and later promulgated the Cyber Security Ordinance, 2025.
On 30 April, the ordinance was repealed and replaced by the Cyber Security Bill, 2026, which was passed by parliament. Barely three months after its passage, the law is now being amended again.
Miraj Ahmed Chowdhury, managing director of Digitally Right, believes the amendments and the addition of new provisions will raise questions over whether the government is returning to the Digital Security Act era under the previous administration.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, the head of the organisation, which researches the impact of technology on information systems, said it was certain that the amended law would be abused if passed. He also warned that Bangladesh’s position in global online freedom rankings would decline, noting that these rankings are an important indicator of the state of democracy.