JS body finalises report on Digital Security Bill

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Ministry on Tuesday finalised its report on the much-talked-about Digital Security Bill 2018.

The committee at a meeting finalised the report a day after it sought another month from the House on Monday to prepare its report.

After the meeting, committee chairman Imran Ahmad told reporters that they finalised their reports on the Digital Security Bill and brought some changes to the bill. Many changes have been brought as per recommendations made by journalists, he added, reports UNB.

The parliamentary body brought 16 changes to the bill. The committee is likely to place its report in Parliament during the ongoing session, sources said.

On April 9last, Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Mustafa Jabbar placed the Digital Security Bill 2018 aiming to deal with cybercrimes, including hurting religious sentiments, negative propaganda against the Liberation War and Bangabandhu, and illegal activities in e-transactions and spreading defamatory data.

Later, it was sent to the parliamentary standing committee for scrutiny.

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

In the proposed bill, digital, database and critical information infrastructure have been defined.