Speakers on Sunday said the ICT Act (Amendment) 2013 sharply conflicts with Articles 39 and 43 of the Constitution, which provide freedom of expression and right to privacy, respectively. They urged the government not to enact the proposed “black law”. They were speaking at a press conference, “ICT Act (Amendment) 2013: Challenges for Right to Privacy and Freedom of Expression”, jointly organised by VOICE, Bangladesh Manobadhikar Shangbadik Forum, Campaign on Citizen’s Right to Information, Bangladesh ICT Journalist, Somewherein.net Blog, Online Knowledge Society, Shushashoner Jonyo Procharabhijan (SUPRO) and School of Communication and Cultural Metaphysics.
Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul, CEO of Boishaki Television, Khairuzzaman Kamal, executive director of Bangladesh Manobadhikar Shangbadik Forum, Zakir Hossain, executive director of Nagorik Udyog and convener of Campaign on Citizen Right to Information, Syeda Gulshan Ferdous Jana, acting managing director of Somewherein.net Blog, and Farjana Akhter, programme coordinator of Voice spoke at the press briefing.
Ahmed Swapan Mahmud, executive director of Voice moderated the session.
Farjana Akhter urged the government to reconsider its decision to enact the Act and asked journalists to create public awareness about the Act as it would hamper human rights at large. She raised seven demands, including the ICT Act (Amendment) 2013 should not be passed as law as it would obviously hamper the right to privacy and data protection, freedom of expression and communication.
Farjana told the press conference that if government agencies and companies really needed to collect someone’s personal information, they must provide appropriate reasons and explanations for it.
Eminent journalist Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul said such a “black law” would challenge all the previous achievements of the Grand Alliance government. He asked the journalist community to protect the freedom of expression and human rights. He mentioned that as per Article 57 (1), the Act would provide blanket immunity to law enforcement agencies for arresting any person for trivial reasons by deeming it as subversive to the state or public interest.
-With The Independent input
