The Committee to Protect Journalists in a letter to the Bangladesh president expressed deep concern over the Digital Security Act passed on Tuesday by parliament, and urged him to return it for a review.

The Sampadak Parishad (Editors' Council) yesterday expressed its deep regret at the passage of the Digital Security Bill 2018, which it considers to be against media freedom and freedom of speech guaranteed by the constitution.

Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan), a civil society platform, voices concern over recently enacted Digital Security Act-2018 as several sections of the law can be misused to harass citizens and gag the press.

Several local and international rights organisations have expressed grave concerns over the passing of the Digital Security Bill 2018 and demanded that the government reconsider its controversial sections.

This law will hurt the media, democracy and freedom of expression. Citizens and the media will be victimised. Fundamental rights will be curtailed.

Terming it a dangerous “black law”, BNP yesterday urged people from all walks of life to put up a strong resistance against the Digital Security Bill, 2018.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has expressed disappointment over finalising of a report by a parliamentary body on Digital Security Bill, 2018 without considering most of the recommendations from stakeholders and amending some sections that curb freedom of speech and independent journalism.

A parliamentary body yesterday finalised its report on the much-debated Digital Security Bill without addressing some concerns of journalists and media owners.

Stressing the need for a law amid growing concerns over the country's rapidly flourishing information technology sector, journalists, authors and rights activists yesterday said that if the proposed digital security bill was passed with its current content, it will severely curtail freedom of the press and expression.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Post, Telecom and ICT is to hold a meeting with the stakeholders tomorrow to hear their views on the proposed Digital Security Act, 2018.

Law Minister Anisul Huq has agreed to sit again with representatives of the Editors' Council, the Association of Television Channel

The parliamentary standing committee on post, telecom and ICT has invited Editors' Council, Association of Television Channel Owners and a faction of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) to a meeting today to hear their views on the proposed Digital Security Act, 2018.

The Human Rights Watch asks Bangladesh to repeal “draconian” Section 57 and says that the upcoming Digital Security Act is no different.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) urges the government to review some sections of the proposed Digital Security Act 2018 and repeal Section 57 of ICT Act.

The government will sit and take opinions from the concerned people of the media who raised objections regarding the proposed Digital Security Act- 2018, ICT Minister Mustafa Jabbar says.

Leaders of a faction of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) yesterday recommended amending the proposed Digital Security Act, 2018 to incorporate a provision for forming a cell under Bangladesh Press Council.

The parliamentary standing committee on post, telecom and ICT would consider any concerns journalists may have over the Digital Security Act, 2018.

The parliamentary standing committee on telecom and ICT says it will sit with newspaper editors, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists and owners of the electronic media to know their concern about the Digital Security Act-2018.

Law Minister Anisul Huq says that a subsection will be included in the proposed digital security act if it is necessary for removing confusion over the freedom of expression.

The European Union and 10 countries including the US and the UK have expressed concern over several sections of the proposed Digital Security Act-2018 as what they said is it “would suppress freedom of expression in multiple ways”. Ambassadors of the countries and the EU or their representatives expressed their worry at a meeting with Law Minister Anisul Huq at his secretariat office in Dhaka yesterday.