Iftekharuzzaman demands Cybersecurity Law repeal, victim compensation

Chief of the Interim Government's Anti-Corruption Reform Commission and Executive Director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), Iftekharuzzaman, has stated that the Cybersecurity Law must be repealed.

He emphasised the urgent need for fair compensation to be provided to those affected by this legislation. Accountability must also be ensured for those who have used the law as a tool of authoritarianism, and those in positions of authority should also be brought under scrutiny.

Speaking at a roundtable discussion titled "Repealable Cybersecurity Law: Public Expectations" on Tuesday, held at the National Press Club's Tofazzal Hossain Manik Miah Hall, he expressed these views.

The event was organised by two organisations, Digital Rights and Citizens.

The roundtable was chaired by Prof CR Abrar, president of the human rights organisation, Odhikar, and a written concept paper was presented by human rights activist Rezaur Rahman Lenin.

Iftekharuzzaman stated, "My concern is- only individuals are changing; the law has yet to be amended. There is no change in institutions, nor in institutional practices. This is where we need to intervene. I cannot deny that intelligence agencies will exist in the name of national security in our country. However, we are still witnessing the established practices within these agencies."

He further noted, "In the future, the term 'cyber security' should not appear in any law, no matter how well-intentioned the legislation may be. The Cyber Security Act or Digital Security Act has created insecurity under the guise of security. This issue must be considered when drafting new laws to prevent the creation of insecurity in the name of legislation."

Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua stated that "Many individuals have faced harassment in the name of cybersecurity. The Chief Adviser of the Interim Government has called for open criticism."

However, he pointed out that cases were filed during Hasina's time, and they are still being filed under Yunus' tenure, which may have been intended as mere rhetoric.

Sheikh Manjur-e-Alam, the regional director for South Asia of Article 19, said that "Our mentality is one of harassment. The main objective is to harass. Cybersecurity has not been ensured in this law. When creating new laws, it is important to ensure that no one is subjected to harassment under those laws."

Miraj Ahmed Chowdhury, head of Programmes and Communications at MRDI, stated, "If we cannot separate discussions on national security from those on cybersecurity, we will undermine many of our rights, which must also be taken into account."

The roundtable was attended by several prominent figures, including photographer and human rights activist Shahidul Alam, Chief coordinator of the State Reform Movement Hasnat Qayyum, and numerous human rights activists and female leaders who shared their experiences as victims of the Cybersecurity Law.