Outdated digital governance framework needs overhaul: Report
Overbroad and ambiguous statutes, combined with excessive discretion granted to law enforcement and intelligence agencies, have historically enabled misuse by both state and non-state actors
Bangladesh's fast-growing digital sector has boosted economic growth and connectivity, but the country's outdated legal and regulatory framework fails to align with modern digital needs and fundamental rights, according to a new report published by the Tech Global Institute.
Launched today (4 December) at a public event, the report, titled "A New Digital Frontier: Reforming Information and Technology Laws in Bangladesh," reviews key laws on online safety and content regulation, cybersecurity, surveillance, privacy and data protection, competition, and consumer protection in the digital domain, according to a press release.
The report found that privacy and freedom of expression in Bangladesh's online ecosystem are regulated predominantly by colonial-era legislation, such as the Penal Code, 1860 and the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, or by more recent enactments inspired by colonial-era language and governance structures, like the Pornography Control Act, 2012 and the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulation Act, 2001.
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Overbroad and ambiguous statutes, combined with excessive discretion granted to law enforcement and intelligence agencies, have historically enabled misuse by both state and non-state actors.
Additionally, the report identifies shortcomings in trade and consumer rights laws, such as the Competition Act, 2012 and the Consumer Rights Protection Act, 2009, which have enabled abusive practices by businesses.
This has hindered competition and consumer welfare in the digital economy, enabling both local and foreign corporations to engage in anti-competitive and anti-consumer practices.
To address these challenges, the report outlines a roadmap for transforming Bangladesh's digital governance framework into a robust, rights-respecting, and future-proof system.
Key recommendations include strengthening privacy protection, reforming online content regulation, enhancing cybersecurity governance, improving competition and consumer protection laws, and establishing structured sentencing guidelines alongside a centralised case tracking system.
These reforms can align Bangladesh's digital governance with domestic and international human rights standards, ensuring accountability, fairness, and inclusivity.
Tech Global Institute is a policy lab with a mission to reduce equity and accountability gaps between technologies and communities in the Global South.
It works at the intersection of the private sector, civil society, and government to advance accountability and governance of technologies in the Global South through rights-respecting legal and policy reforms.
