Bangladesh to consider amending law seen curbing free speech
READ MORE
Since Hasina’s election victory in 2009 scores of people, including journalists, have been jailed in Bangladesh for criticising the government on the internet. A Bangladesh court this month rejected bail for prominent social activist and photographer Shahidul Alam, who was arrested last month for spreading “propaganda and false information” during widespread student protests.
The proposed law has also attracted strong criticism internationally.
“The United States shares the concerns of the international community that the recently passed Digital Security Act could be used to suppress and criminalise free speech, all to the detriment of Bangladesh’s democracy, development and prosperity,” the US ambassador to Bangladesh, Marcia Bernicat, said in a statement on Sunday.
“We encourage the Government of Bangladesh to consider changes to the law that would bring it into conformity with the Bangladesh constitution and with Bangladesh’s international commitments on human, civil and political rights.”
Comments
Post a Comment