ARTICLE 19 concerned by DSA case against RTV reporter

ARTICLE 19 has expressed concern over the Digital Security Act case filed against Yeasmein Akter Adhora, staff reporter of private television station RTV, for reporting on the Rajarbagh Darbar Shareef pir.

ARTICLE 19, an international free speech watchdog, also urged the authorities to take no further action on the case against the journalist and withdraw it immediately.

Faruq Faisel, Regional Director of ARTICLE 19 South Asia said, "The role of journalists in ensuring transparency and accountability is undeniable. This case is the latest addition to the series of cases against journalists and rights activists who have misused the controversial provisions of the Digital Security Act since its inception. Such cases always damage the independence and objectives of journalism."

Adhora reported on the allegations of various crimes including the prosecution of Pir Dillur Rahman and his syndicate centred on Rajarbagh Darbar Shareef in the capital, harassment of numerous people across the country, land grabbing, etc.

Shakerul Kabir, one of the associates of Pir Dillur Rahman, filed the case against the journalist under sections 24, 25 and 29 of the Digital Security Act 2018. 

Sections 25 and 29 have been regularly flagged by various stakeholders as among the most egregious sections of the DSA, which caused UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk in March to call on the government "to immediately suspend its application of the Digital Security Act".

On Thursday, Law Minister Anisul Huq had to provide assurances to a visiting US delegation led by the under-secretary for civilian security, democracy, and human rights, Uzra Zeya, that the DSA will be amended within September.

"We had talks about DSA. I have told them the same thing that I had told earlier. I have told them that the DSA would be amended within September," he told journalists after coming out of his meeting with the US delegation.

This has led some to legitimately question why citizens should continue to suffer the brunt of an act that is acknowledged as flawed and only awaits correction. 

One of the most glaring examples at present of bearing that brunt is the case of Khadijatul Kubra, a student of political science at Jagannath University, who has been languishing in jail for 11 months now. Earlier this week the Supreme Court stayed for another four months a High Court order that granted her bail in two separate cases filed under the Digital Security Act.

That puts her next hearing at a date well beyond when the law minister has said the act under which she was sued will be amended.