Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq today (August 10) said the proposed Cyber Security Act (CSA) will be very helpful in preventing harassment of the journalists.

"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 media, the concerns raised by the journalist community, will also go away," he said.

The minister said these while addressing a press briefing on abolishing the Digital Security Act and proposed Cyber Security Act at BCC Auditorium on Thursday afternoon.

The sternness of punishment in 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.

"DSA had Section 29 to deal with defamation charges. In the proposed act, the only punishment would be fine, or to suffer jail term of three to six months in default. The maximum punishment in this regard would be an amount of fine of not more than Taka 25 lakh," he said.

The law minister also said the changes that were brought in the act, were so many that if government had stick with the previous name Digital Security Act, it had to name it as Digital Security Amended Act, which would have been confusing. So government opted for the name Cyber Security Act, 2023. We brought cyber to increase its extent.

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

BDST: 2145 HRS, AUG 10, 2023
MN