Coming amendments to DSA will make journos happy: Law minister

The government is revising the Digital Security Act, which will be placed in Parliament for amendment next September, said Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq today (25 July).

"Your (journalists) concerns are of great importance to the government. I can say that you will be happy with the amendments,"  he told reporters after a meeting with EU Special Representative for Human Rights Eamon Gilmore at the Secretariat on 25 July.

The minister earlier said a six-member team – comprising representatives of several ministries including the law ministry, information and communication technology ministry and home affairs ministry – was formed to look into the issue.

The team is working with the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNHCR) office to find out whether human rights are being violated due to the enforcement of this law, he said.

However, civil society members have been calling for abolition, not an amendment, of the controversial Digital Security Act (DSA) as it is being allegedly used to choke all forms of freedom of expression.

"The Digital Security Act has not been enacted to regulate freedom of expression or the media or it is not being used to do these. Several solutions have already been taken to prevent the misuse of the law," the law minister previously said.

The United States in April expressed concerns over the Bangladesh government's use of the Digital Security Act (DSA). 

Speaking at the 52nd session of UN Human Rights Council on 7 March, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called on the Bangladesh government to immediately suspend the application of the Digital Security Act, expressing concern that the act is being used to muzzle freedom of expression.