No journalists will be harassed by Cyber Security Act: Law Minister

The proposed Cyber Security Act (CSA) will not be misused and it will be very helpful in preventing harassment of journalists.

“As a result, no media persons will be harassed by the proposed Cyber Security Act, ” Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq said on Thursday.

The minister addressed a press briefing on the proposed Cyber Security Act by absorbing the previous Digital Security Act at the BCC Auditorium in the capital’s Agargaon this afternoon.

"The proposed CSA will be very helpful in checking cyber crimes. Apart from those, the mental pressure that was created among the people because of the Digital Security Act, the panic which was seen while publishing news freely in the media, the concerns raised by the journalist community, will also go away," he said.

The punishment in the DSA, which had created a controversy, has been reduced in the proposed Cyber Security Act (CSA) to a great extent. Some non-bailable sections have been made bailable, he added.

"The DSA had Section 29 to deal with defamation charges. In the proposed Act, the only punishment would be fine. In section 21, there was jail term for 10 years, now it has been reduced to 7 years.”

The law minister said that the proposed cyber security law has provisions for fines ranging from one paisa to a maximum of Tk 25 lakh. That does not mean that the fine will always be Tk 25 lakh. The Court will impose a penalty based on the nature of the offence, and it is said in the law, he added.

On August 7, the cabinet approved in principle the draft of the new act, annulling some stringent provisions like jail terms on defamation charges.

State Minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak presided over the briefing while Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division Secretary Md Moinul Kabir, Law and Justice Division Secretary Md Golam Sarwar, Information and Communication Technology Division secretary Md Shamsul Arefin and other senior officials attended the event.