TIB slams CSA

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has expressed concern over the hurriedly-passed Cyber Security Act and vented frustration over its containing similar restrictive clauses of the scrapped digital security act.
The local chapter of the Berlin-based Transparency International (TI) said in a statement issued on Thursday that like the so-called DSA, the new law retains many aspects to create the risk of undermining constitutional rights like freedom of opinion, thought, conscience, speech and media.
The act has overlooked many key aspects like cyber infrastructure, internet and security-related issues in all digital platforms, the inclusion of which was mostly important, it said.
Expressing his fear that the CSA would become another tool for hurting freedom of press and speech, TIB executive director Dr Iftekharuzzaman had called upon the parliamentarians, ministers and standing committee members to play effective role to ensure that the CSA cannot be the replication of the DSA.
Simultaneously, he said, it also sent a working paper containing comparative analysis between the digital security act-2018 and the draft CSA-2023 and recommendations.
But the act was hurriedly passed in parliament without taking stakeholders' opinions and suggestions.
"We saw the act was passed by voice vote within eight days after placing it in parliament, taking the advantage of the absolute majority, which is frustrating," said the statement.

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