Scrap DSA or keep journalists out of its purview

The Editors' Council, a representative organisation of newspaper editors, has demanded of the government to scrap the Digital Security Act (DSA) to ensure press freedom in the country.

If scrapping is not possible, the government could insert a clause into the law keeping the media outside its purview, the council suggested.

"As the government is claiming this law was meant to prevent cyber crimes, the government should add a clause in the law saying that DSA is not applicable to the mass media or freedom of expression," said Mahfuz Anam, President of the Editors' Council and editor of the Daily Star.

He was speaking at a discussion organised marking the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day, which is celebrated globally every year on May 3, by the Editors' Council at the National Press Club on Tuesday.

Former information minister and chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the same ministry Hasanul Haque Inu was present at the event as the guest of honour.

This year's theme for the day is "Shaping of a Future of Rights: Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights".

Mr Mahfuz urged the government to immediately suspend the process of formulating laws that curb free and independent journalism.

He also requested removing the clauses in those laws that may hinder independent journalism, and demanded release of all journalists arrested under the DSA and withdraw those cases.

Mr Mahfuz said the government may consider enacting laws for the protection of journalism, freedom of speech and whistleblowers, and said that there are nine laws in the country that are directly harming independent journalism.

He also urged the media in general to follow ethics of journalism while criticising other media based on different opinions or beliefs.

Speaking at the open session, The Financial Express Editor Shamsul Huq Zahid said it seems that there existed some uncomfortable feeling even within the government about the DSA, as the law minister had been repeatedly underscoring the need for amending some clauses of it. "But we don't know why it isn't happening," he added.

He said the conditions of journalism and journalists in many Asian countries are not comfortable.

He said freedom of press is usually being curtailed in two ways --legally and inciting division among journalists.

Mr Inu said the government, media, editors and owners need to work together to remove mistrust and misunderstanding.

He said that there is a need for the DSA and also removing whatever loopholes it has. "Views on the DSA by both the media and the government need to be changed."

The former information minister said the mass media should not be neutral rather they need to be objective, and urged the media to get adapted to the new laws to create the digital space.

He also stressed the need for inserting bail provision into the DSA.

"Ninety per cent of the Code of Criminal Procedure is non-bailable and still people get bail. The DSA must have the option too," he said.

Editor In Chief and CEO of TV Today Monjurul Islam Bulbul alleged to at the government did not take into consideration the objections and recommendations of journalists during the drafting process of the DSA.

He said that some issues in the DSA needed clarification and well-defined to remove self-imposing options of the law.

He, however, stressed that cyberspace needed to be regulated as 83 per cent of women are victims of cyber bullying. On the other hand, 27 per cent journalists are victims of DSA, he said, adding that there should be an understanding between these two perspectives.

He also recommended setting up a new authority to apply DSA on journalism.

New Age Editor Nurul Kabir said the DSA has created an environment of fear and it has been done intentionally.

He said that use of the DSA against journalists is not an accident; it is the government's strategy to oppress journalists and curb freedom of press.

Daily Ittefaq Editor Tasmima Hossain said attack on the freedom of press is not new here. The oppressive laws were there in the colonial and Pakistan regimes as well, she said, adding that the struggle against such laws will continue.

Daily Samakal Editor Muzzammil Husain Monju said professional journalism is now at stake in the country and criticised the DSA saying that the law has been promulgated to create an environment of fear. And, it seems that every application of the DSA has been wrongly guided.

He called upon the journalists to be united amid this adverse working environment.

Daily Desh Rupantor Acting Editor Mostafa Mamun said the DSA has created an environment of fear and it has prompting many to exercise self-censorship.

He urged the journalists toeing partisan political stances to engage in party politics fulltime instead of pursuing journalism.

Daily Prothom Alo Associate Editor Anisul Hoque said that the freedom of press or freedom of speech should be absolute and it is absolute in many countries such as the USA. However, in our constitution, the freedom of press is conditional, he added.

Daily Bonik Barta Editor and General Secretary of Editors' Council Dewan Hanif Mahmud moderated the discussion.

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