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 and Chairman
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: 15th 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/