Speakers expressed concern at the Digital Rights Asia-Pacific (DRAPAC) Bangladesh National Conference 2026 that recently passed digital laws in Parliament pose risks to freedom of expression and personal privacy, and said each law should be reviewed to ensure rights protection.
They noted that the laws were passed quickly without adequate consultation with stakeholders, and that several provisions enabling extensive digital surveillance remain in place.
The conference was held on Tuesday at the Bangladesh–China Friendship Conference Centre in Dhaka. It was organized by Digitally Right and EngageMedia, organizations working on digital rights. The Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) and development organization Dnet acted as session partners. The theme of the conference was “Meaningful, Inclusive Lawmaking”.
The first plenary session was organized by TIB. Speaking there, TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman raised concerns over various provisions of the recently passed Cyber Security Act, amended Telecommunications Act, Personal Data Protection Act, and National Data Management Act.
He said the new laws contain inconsistencies and do not align with the “spirit of July” or the electoral promises of elected representatives. He further noted that many lawmakers who were previously victims of misuse of such laws have nonetheless supported similar legislation. According to him, old laws have largely been reintroduced under new names, offering limited scope for citizen empowerment.
Other speakers also raised concerns that the interaction between these laws could create a framework for mass surveillance. The Daily Star Joint Editor Aasha Mehreen Amin said that cases are still being filed over Facebook posts in the same manner as before, and that journalists remain at risk of surveillance.
Speakers observed that during the interim government period, these laws were drafted without sufficient consultation with stakeholders. They added that the subsequent government passed them hurriedly with only minor amendments, leaving earlier weaknesses intact and further weakening accountability mechanisms.
UNESCO Representative in Bangladesh Suzanne Vise said that every law must be assessed within its societal context, urging the government to review the legislation and strengthen human rights safeguards.
Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, Muhammad Anwar Uddin, said the laws are necessary and important, adding that any issues could be addressed through future amendments and that the government is already working on improvements.
The second session featured Meta Public Policy Manager Rujan Sarwar, Telenor Asia’s Head of Public and Regulatory Affairs Pratyush Rao, ShareTrip founder Sadia Haq, and Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Commissioner Mahmud Hossain.
Rujan Sarwar said Meta had engaged in discussions on the data management law for four years and had considered whether to maintain its presence in Bangladesh due to provisions such as data localization requirements. He added that the recently passed data protection law is favourable for platforms like Meta and Google.
Responding to questions about recent incidents of incitement on Facebook leading to attacks on media outlets, she said the company still has room for improvement and that it is difficult to prevent content moving across platforms. She added that Meta plans to strengthen engagement with local communities.
Pratyush Rao said Telenor had been closely monitoring the Telecommunications Amendment Act, particularly Section 97A. He noted that a new agency has replaced NTMCC and said it remains important to understand how its mandate, authority, and oversight will function.
BTRC Commissioner Mahmud Hossain said laws are sometimes influenced by competing interest groups, and that stronger groups often have greater access to policymakers, creating trust deficits. He added that BTRC attempts to consult all stakeholders in policy formulation.
Sadia Haq said local entrepreneurs often lack opportunities to participate in policy discussions, citing limited access to decision-makers and insufficient understanding of legal impacts, which leads to smaller tech firms being left unheard.
In another panel, Dr Anony Royhan and other experts discussed artificial intelligence governance, stressing the need for meaningful dialogue in formulating AI policies.
At the closing session, Digitally Right’s new Tech Policy Fellows presented their research findings. Managing Director Miraj Ahmed Chowdhury said digital governance is not solely the responsibility of governments or private companies; rather, it must reflect the voices of civil society, media, and marginalized communities. He added that the conference serves as a platform for continuing this dialogue in the future.
