The government has decided to further amend the Cyber Security Ordinance, 2025, ensuring that convictions and ongoing cases filed under certain sections of the now-repealed Digital Security Act (DSA) 2018 will be considered void.
The proposal to amend Section 50 of the ordinance was approved at a meeting of the Advisory Council held on Thursday at the Chief Adviser’s Office in Tejgaon, chaired by Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus.
Following the meeting, the decision was announced at a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy by Fayez Ahmed Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser on Information and Communication Technology, along with Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam and ICT Division Secretary Shish Haydar Chowdhury.
According to the approved draft, all cases under Sections 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 31 of the repealed Digital Security Act, 2018 — whether pending in courts, tribunals, or under police investigation — will be dismissed. Moreover, any sentences or fines issued under these sections will be nullified and treated as invalid.
The amendment aims to remove legal consequences for offenses previously prosecuted under the controversial DSA provisions, which were widely criticized for curbing freedom of expression and being misused against journalists and critics.
