Sec 32 to have subsection if needed: Anisul

lMentioning that there is still a scope of discussion over the proposed Digital Security Act, Law Minister Anisul Huq said on Tuesday a sub-section will be inserted into section 32, if needed, report agencies.

"A subsection will be incorporated in section 32 of the act if it seems in discussions that the freedom of expression will be hampered," he said.

The minister made the comments while talking to reporters after inaugurating a training course for district and session's judges and equivalent judicial officials at the Judicial Administration Training Institute in the city.

According to section 32 of the Digital Security Act, resorting to digital theft by capturing any confidential information of government and semi-government, autonomous and statuary bodies by using computer, computer network, digital network or any other electronic devices through illegal access is cognizable offence.

The minister said there will be an elaborate discussion on the proposed law at the parliamentary standing committee which is the right place for talks.

"The scope of discussions has opened up with the placing of bill in Parliament," he said.

If it is deemed that the freedom of expression and freedom of speech are hampered, a subsection will surely be inserted, he said.

Earlier at a meet-the-press programme at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity on February 6, the minister said the section 32 of the proposed law was not brought targeting journalists. "A sub-section will be included, if necessary, to protect journalists," he had said.

The Digital Security Bill, 2018, aiming to deal with cybercrimes, including hurting the religious sentiment, negative propaganda against the Liberation War and the Father of the Nation, and illegal activities in e-transactions and spreading defamatory data, was placed in Parliament on Monday.

The bill was later sent to the respective Parliamentary Standing Committee for scrutiny. The committee was asked to submit its report within four weeks.

Many crimes mentioned in the proposed law have been made cognizable and non-bailable offences.

According to the bill, the offences under the sections 17, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34 of the proposed laws are cognizable and non-bailable, while the offences under the sections 20, 25, 29 and 48 are bailable ones.