100 distinguished citizens call for scrapping Cyber Security Ordinance 24
Citing the draft Cyber Security Ordinance 2024 as "conflicting to basic human rights," 100 distinguished citizens issued a joint statement on Sunday to scrap it.
Journalist Shahidul Alam, social entrepreneur and economist Dr Ananya Raihan, scientist Dr Shamaruh Mirza, technology entrepreneurs Fahim Mashroor, Didarul Bhuiyan, journalists Shimu Naser, Shadique Mahbub Islam, Professors Dr Rumi Ahmed Khan, Dr Saiful Khandaker, Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua were among them.
Appreciating the interim government move to repeal the oppressive Cyber Security Act 2023, in line with the spirit of the mass movement in 2024, they said the previous act was being abused by the state for gagging people.
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The new ordinance also allowed the law enforcement agencies to check citizens' personal devices without a court warrant which the 100 signatories believe should not repeat, according to the speakers.
The ordinance would give law enforcement agencies a tool to harass the people, instead of making them more accountable, the statement said, they noted.
Also the provision letting the law enforcement agencies decide if any content or information is against the national solidarity or religious sentiment will work against the freedom of speech and such an authoritarian law cannot be there, they added.
