Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Sunday held a meeting with a delegation of the International Republican Institute (IRI), with discussions focusing on preventing cybercrime and online bullying, and the proposed Cyber Security (Amendment) Act 2026.
The courtesy meeting took place at the minister's office at noon.
The delegation was led by IRI Resident Program Director John Fluharty. Helen Jerin Khan, MP, IRI Technical Adviser Ruksana Haque, and young politicians and IRI trainees Chamon Faria and Mohammad Prince were also present.
During the meeting, Fluharty briefed the minister on IRI's ongoing programs aimed at developing youth leadership and promoting violence-free political practices.
He said young people and political activists in Bangladesh are currently facing harassment and defamation due to cyberbullying and organized disinformation.
Fluharty called for a consensus-based policy and legal protection for both the government and opposition parties in this regard.
The minister assured the delegation that the government is aware of citizens' freedom of expression and personal security.
“Under Article 39 of the Constitution, every citizen has the right to express opinions and engage in constructive criticism, subject to reasonable restrictions. However, constructive criticism is not the same as character assassination or abusive language for political purposes,” he said.
Salahuddin said the government has been seeking opinions from the international community, media personalities, senior editors and civil society stakeholders for the past two months as part of efforts to revise the proposed Cyber Security (Amendment) Act.
He said the main objectives of the law is to restore civility in the digital space, protect women and young people from cyberbullying and ensure professional protection for journalists while preventing any misuse of the law.
The minister said the government will welcome constructive recommendations from both international and local stakeholders to strengthen digital security and establish a violence-free political environment.
Additional Home Secretary (Political and Immigration Wings) Dr Ziauddin Ahmed and Joint Secretary of the Political-1 Branch Rebeka Khan, among others, attended the meeting.