BNP’s National Standing Committee member Moudud Ahmed has said that the recently passed Digital Security Act will be annulled within seven days if their party returns in power through the upcoming general election.
He made the pledge while addressing a party rally at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka on Sunday.
Moudud, a former law minister, said that the Digital Security Act was giving the law enforcement agencies too much power. “In 1975, the [Jatiya] Rakkhi Bahini did not even had this much power during Baksal.”
The Digital Security Bill 2018 was passed in parliament on September 19 with stiff penalties for a wide variety of cyber infractions, after the Information and Communication Technology Act was annulled because of widespread criticism about its reported misuse.
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However, journalists and rights campaigners have said that the law could quash freedom of speech, especially on social media.
The Editors’ Council, along with several media organizations, has also objected to a number of sections of the new law that they say would curb freedom of expression and threaten responsible and independent journalism.
BNP’s rally on Sunday was organized in line with 22 conditions set by Dhaka Metropolitan Police. The conditions included not using any provocative words, refraining from carrying any sticks, large banners and creating any barriers to public life.
Referring to that, Moudud Ahmed said that their party in future would not seek written permission from the authorities to hold rallies or other programs.
“We will just carry on after verbally notifying the authorities,” he added.
