Law drafted with life term for cyber-terrorism

The government has drafted the country's first Cyber Security Law, 2015, incorporating a provision for lifetime imprisonment and monetary fines for offenders in the country or beyond.
The draft law has also proposed other provisions including a maximum ten-year jail-term and Tk 1.0 million in penalty for breaching privacy such as capturing and releasing unauthorised photos.
It also proposed a 10-year jail-term and up-to Tk1.0 million fines for releasing pornographic or obscene photos on the web  or through computer or computer system.
The draft law was discussed at a seminar on Sunday at the ICT Division, where IT experts and policymakers participated in the discussion meeting.
State minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Secretary Shyam Sundar Sikder, and IT expert Mustafa Jabbar, among others, attended the function.
Mr Palak said that a high-powered national cyber security council headed by prime minister will be formed in this connection.
Other council members are finance minister, education minister, home minister, foreign affairs minister, prime minister's IT adviser, minister for science and technology, ICT state minister and ICT secretary.
The proposed cyber security law allows security agencies to investigate and detain the suspected offenders without arrest of warrant.
According to the draft law, cyber crimes-related lawsuits will be disposed within six months of lodging the complaints.
The draft also says a modern digital forensic laboratory will be set up to be headed by a director general to verify evidences of cyber crimes related complaints for judgment.
A five-year imprisonment and up-to Tk 0.3 million will be fined for an intending unauthorised access to computer or computer programmes out of ill-motives, the draft says.
It says if any individual destroys or removes information of others through unauthorised access to others' computer or computer network is an offence and they might face 3/5 years' jail term and fines.
The law also recommended a 10-year imprisonment and up-to Tk 1.0 million fines for committing crimes by hacking computers and networks.
With regard to company-related crimes, the draft says, owners of a company, chief executive, director, manager, secretary and other representative will be convicted for the crimes, unless they could prove themselves to be innocent.
The law also keeps a provision for mandatory assistance for the investigators; otherwise the company people will face up-to two years' imprisonment and monetary fines.
It says if anyone sends electronic message for cheating people, it will be deemed a punishable crime and he or she might face up-to five years term in prison.
At the very beginning of the draft, it says the law named Cyber Security Law, 2015 will be effective soon across the country.
It says a national cyber security agency will be set up under the ICT division and a director general will be the chief of the agency.
The draft also recommended formation of an advisory committee ahead of the enactment of the law.  
The junior minister said it is essential for enacting the cyber security law as such crimes have been increasing rapidly across the country.
"…if we fail to enact the law, the nation will must pay its price," the minister noted.  
A total of 47.42 million people used internet in the country at the end of May, data available with the Bangladesh Telecommunic-ation Regulatory Commission (BTRC) showed.
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