Assignment on

“Critical analysis on Cyber Security Act 2023”

Course title: Concepts of journalism and Media Studies
Course code: Gen211
Section: 02
Submitted to
Dr. Abul Mansur Ahmed
Professor
Department of Mass Communication and Journalism
East West University
Submitted by
MD Abid Hasan Redoy
ID: 2021-2-10-366
Department of Business Administration

Date of submission: 12 December, 2023

Introduction

On September 13, 2023 the Bangladesh government has replaced the controversial Digital Security
Act (DSA) 2018 with Cyber Security Act (CSA), 2023, which is passed in the parliament in the
September session. It is rather dubious why the government wants to have another draconian cyber
security law right before the next national elections. The DSA was also passed just a few months
before the 2018 parliament elections. Human rights groups, journalist unions, media rights
defenders and cyber security researchers have expressed their concerns regarding the draft Cyber
Security Act and dubbed it as an "old wine in a new bottle."

The Cyber Security Act (2023): a renamed version of the DSA

According to the Law Minister Anisul Huq, the DSA 2018 was not scrapped, but transformed and
modernized after amending some sections, and then renamed the Cyber Security Act. The new law
featured some reduction in penalties, such as for Section 21 of the DSA, which originally carried
a 10-year imprisonment term for disseminating “propaganda” related to Bangladesh's Liberation
War; in the CSA, this penalty has been reduced to 7 years. (Global voice)

Critically discussion on Cyber Security Act 2023

In a bold move, the Bangladeshi Parliament recently approved the Cyber Security Act on
September 18, 2024, just before the highly anticipated January 2024 elections. This replacement
for a controversial law from 2018 represents a significant shift in policy, as it seeks to protect
citizens from online threats while also maintaining strict controls over free speech. The most
exciting aspect of this new legislation is that the cybersecurity-related sections of the old law
remain intact. To further fortify their digital defenses, they've added a shiny new clause on hacking
offenses. Violating this provision could result in some serious consequences, including fines up to
Tk 1 crore, potential prison time of 14 years, or even both. (Daily star, n.d.) The Act presents a
holistic approach to mitigating cybersecurity risks by encompassing various aspects of information
security, including data privacy, incident management, and threat intelligence exchange. This legal
instrument appears to provide a well-rounded framework for tackling complex cyber threats
through an integrated approach that covers multiple angles of attack. (the business standard, 2023)

Sections 21 and 28 have severe penalties. Section 29 of the Panel Code (Act No. XLV of 1860)
lays out the fine of 25 lakhs taka for anyone who disseminates defamatory information. According
to section 26, gathering and using contact information without authorization is illegal and can
result in a two-year prison sentence or a five-lakh taka fine. I think such punishments are totally
beyond maintenance. On the other hand, Police are authorized to search and make arrests without
a warrant under Section 42 of the Bill. Inspector-level officers in this section have taken the place
of sub-inspector-level officers and are authorized to search and make warrantless arrests. The
likelihood of this law being abused is high after all it’s a freedom country so these types of law
can make harming about people’s freedom. (Dhaka Tribune, 2023)

Some concerning things need to fix

Smaller companies with fewer resources might find it difficult to comply with the Act’s
requirements, I think government must recheck the act’s and also make it flexible for everyone in
added that laws in the quickly developing field of cybersecurity should be flexible enough to adjust
to new threat and developments in technology. The effectiveness of cybersecurity measures
frequently hinges on global collaborations or cooperations.

Conclusion

The government has introduced a new law called the Cyber Security Act 2023 to protect people
from online dangers. This law tries to find a good balance between keeping people safe and
respecting their privacy. However, this law will need to be checked and updated often because
technology changes quickly and new cyber threats come up all the time

References
Daily star. (n.d.). The daily star.net. Retrieved from The daily star webpage.com:
https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/views/news/cyber-security-act-and-the-fear-history-
repeating-itself-3393861

Dhaka Tribune. (2023, november 20). Dhaka tribune. Retrieved from Dhk Tribune.com:
https://www.dhakatribune.com/

Global voice. (n.d.). Global voices Advox. Retrieved from https://advox.globalvoices.org/

the business standard. (2023, october 23). The Business standard.com. Retrieved from tbsnews.net:
https://www.tbsnews.net/