The ministry will start the work of amending the Cyber Security Act (CSA) soon, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul said today (29 September).
“The CSA will be amended as it needs to be amended,” he said while addressing a views exchange meeting organised by NGO Affairs Bureau and Right to Information Forum (RIF) in NGO Bureau office at city’s Agargaon.
Cabinet Division Secretary (Coordination and Reform) Md Mahmudul Hossain Khan and Secretary of ICT Division Shish Haider Chowdhury addressed the meeting with NGO Affairs Bureau Director General Md Saidur Rahman in the chair.
TIB executive director Dr Iftekharuzzaman, NGO Affairs Bureau director Md Anowar Hossain and Executive Director of Media and Resources Development Initiative (MRDI) Hasibur Rahman attended the function as panel discussants while noted policy analyst Dr Anonnyo Raihan was the moderator.
Electoral Reform Commission head Badiul Alam Majumder took part during the opening discussion while RIF convenor Shahin Anam presented the keynote paper.
Asif Nazrul said people lack awareness of Right to Information (RTI) unlike other rights. All rights are worthless without the RTI, he said adding every right closely depends on RTI.
He said, in absence of proper execution of law, justice and governance there is no utility of the information commission or human rights commission in a country.
Those who speak about the RTI should also speak about fair elections, against intimidation, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, he said.
The adviser said the previous government had made the judiciary an instrument of torture and legislative a forum of plunderers.
“We should be vocal about these things,” he said.
The adviser also said the RTI Act was formulated during the tenure of the previous government. On the contrary, many laws were framed by that government to destroy the spirit of the RTI.
“It is not possible to implement any law without fixing the good governance and law and justice. We must be vocal about democracy, voting rights of the people and independence of the judiciary,” he said.
Asif Nazrul said, “We will always be against bad and in favour of good. I hope that civil society will always uphold this principle and extend cooperation to build a new Bangladesh, emerged from the student-led upsurge.”
Badiul Alam said the fascist government has fallen down, but their ghosts are still active. “They are harassing people continuously in many ways, which should be stopped immediately.”
Iftekharuzzaman said common people do not want to know the necessary information from any government agency in fear of harassment.
“We have to create such an environment where people will be encouraged to take information,” he said.
