Law minister to fight if any journo implicated in digital law

Law minister Anisul Huq has said journalistic pursuit will not be considered as spying, even under the provision of the just-proposed digital security law.

In a 'Meet the press' programme on Tuesday, he insisted that the job of the journalists is "to collect information for publishing reports, but not hand them over to the enemies of government or foreign countries".

However, Anisul Huq, a lawyer by profession, told the newsmen that he himself would fight free of cost for journalists if any of them is implicated under the said law for publishing objective reports.

The law is widely criticised by various groups including journalists, at home and abroad, who argued that it will further curtail freedom of expression in the country.

Anisul Huq expressed his views that section 32 of the draft act, which is complementary to another controversial law on ICT, will not act as any obstacle to practice of journalism.

The minister spoke in detail of various aspects of the proposed law and addressed queries from journalists at the programme, organised by Law Reporters’ Forum at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU).

The cabinet, on 30 January, approved the draft Digital Security Act, 2018.

It has kept provision for 14 years of imprisonment and section 32 of it says if any person captures, preserves or sends any sensitive or secret information of any government, semi-government, autonomous and statutory body through any kind of digital device, computer, computer network, and/or digital network, then it will be an offence of digital spying.