Cabinet okays draft of Digital Security Act

Senior Correspondent: The Cabinet on Monday approved in principle the draft of the Digital Security Bill, 2018 keeping a provision of punishment for cyber crime.

The approval came from the regular weekly meeting of the Cabinet held at the Prime Minister's Office with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam briefed reporters at the Bangladesh Secretariat after the meeting.

“In the draft law, sections 54, 55, 56, 57 and 66 of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act have been revoked,” the cabinet secretary said.

The person who will be charged with cyber crime will be jailed and fined, he said.

According to the proposed law, anyone providing defamatory information will be sentenced to 3 years’ imprisonment or be fined by Tk 5 lakh or by both.

Anyone spreading negative propaganda against the Liberation War or the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, using digital devices, will risk being sentenced, according to the new law.


risingbd/Dhaka/Jan 29, 2018/Noimuddin/AI