BLAST urges govt to remove vague offences from proposed cyber law

Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) has urged the government to remove provisions on “defamation”, “demeaning”, “bullying”, “rumours” and “misinformation” from the proposed Cyber Security (Amendment) Act 2026, saying the offences are too broad and vaguely defined.

The rights organisation, through a press release issued today (14 September), said protecting women, children and others from serious online violence was essential, but measures to combat it must not criminalise legitimate criticism, investigative journalism, satire, political speech or public-interest discussions.

BLAST warned that several provisions could repeat the misuse concerns associated with the Information and Communication Technology Act 2006, Digital Security Act 2018 and Cyber Security Act 2023.

The organisation specifically called for “defamation” and “demeaning” to be dropped from Section 25, noting that defamation is already a criminal offence under Section 499 of the Penal Code.

A separate, broader online provision could criminalise constructive criticism, opinions, satire, journalism and public-interest discussions, it said.

BLAST also called for a clear definition of “bullying”, saying political campaigning, consumer complaints, investigative journalism or dissent should not be considered bullying simply because they cause mental distress, fear or social discomfort.

It suggested limiting the offence to intentional and sustained digital conduct involving serious threats, intimidation or targeted harassment.

The organisation further demanded that proposed Section 26A be scrapped, arguing that “rumour”, “false”, “distorted” and “misleading” information are not clearly defined.

Treating unverified information as false could hamper journalists and researchers during emergencies, disasters and human rights crises, it said. 

BLAST also opposed the proposed punishment of up to 10 years’ imprisonment or a Tk40 lakh fine.

It also objected to expanded government powers to remove or block online information on broad grounds including misinformation, national security, public order, defamation or insulting the state, warning that unilateral executive powers could increase the risk of abuse.

The rights organisation said transparency and judicial oversight over content blocking should not be weakened and called for stronger safeguards.

BLAST urged the government to remove the disputed provisions, clarify the definition of bullying, reconsider the proposed penalties and ensure judicial oversight over content removal, saying the new law should protect cybersecurity without repeating the shortcomings of previous cyber laws or undermining freedom of expression.