Rights groups urge Bangladesh to withdraw draft cyber law amendment

A coalition of international and regional human rights organisations has urged the Bangladesh government to withdraw a draft amendment to the Cyber Protection Act 2026, saying it risks restricting freedom of expression, media independence and civic space.

CIVICUS, Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center, Front Line Defenders and South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) issued a joint statement on 22 September concerning the draft Cyber Protection (Amendment) Act 2026.

The draft proposes amendments to the Cyber Protection Act 2026, enacted on 10 April and revised on 30 June.

The rights groups said the proposed legislation mirrors what they described as regressive and repressive provisions of the repealed Digital Security Act (DSA) of 2018.

They raised concerns over what they said were vague and overly broad terms in the draft, including "rumour," "misinformation," "digital defamation," "humiliation," "bullying," and "fake news."

The groups said the lack of clear legal definitions for such terms could create a risk of arbitrary enforcement and selective prosecution against critical voices.

Proposed Sections 25 and 26 introduce penalties including prison sentences, fines and pre-trial detention for online expression, according to the statement.

Section 26A provides for up to 10 years in prison, a fine of Taka 4 million, or both, for publishing or sharing online "rumours and disinformation", the groups said.

The draft also allows pre-trial detention, which the organisations said could criminalise individuals before the factual accuracy or intent of their statements has been assessed.

The statement also raised concerns over expanded state authority to request the blocking of digital content and the designation of key cyber offences as non-bailable.

The groups criticised the government's consultation process, saying an official consultation on 10 September included only selected media representatives and excluded civil society organisations and human rights defenders affected by similar legislation in the past.

The draft was published online on 14 September, giving the public barely more than a week to submit comments, according to the statement. The rights groups said this amounted to a superficial attempt to demonstrate that public consultation had taken place.

The signatory organisations called on the government to immediately withdraw the draft in its current form and initiate an inclusive, time-bound dialogue involving human rights defenders, civil society members, journalists, legal professionals and technology experts.

They also called for cybersecurity legislation to comply with Bangladesh's constitutional guarantees and international human rights standards.