Hasina cabinet okays life term for dishonouring 1971 War, Bangabandhu

The Bangladesh cabinet on Monday approved a draft law with a provision of life imprisonment and Taka 1 crore fine for dishonouring the 1971 Liberation War or the nation's founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The proposed Digital Security Act, 2016, law states that anyone spreading propaganda against the Liberation War or Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman using digital devices will face the penalty, Cabinet Secretary Md Shafiul Alam told journalists following the cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Alam also said that anybody making any distortion about the history of the Liberation War settled by court will face the same punishment, the Daily Star reported.

The draft law has another provision that anybody trying to illegally access any information site will face 14 years' imprisonment or Taka 1 crore fine or both.

Also, anyone committing forgery using any electronic device will be punished by up to Taka 3 lakh penalty and anyone using fake identity to threaten someone will be awarded 5 years' imprisonment or Taka 3 lakh fine or both, according to the draft law.

If anyone tries to harm Bangladesh's stability and its law and order will face 5 years' imprisonment or Taka 3 lakh penalty or both.

Hurting religious sentiment and act of defamation using electronic devices will be punished with two years' imprisonment or Taka 3 lakh fine or both.

Alam said, "The ICT Act (Information and Communication Technology Act) is inadequate. But this new law is a detailed one. Once this law is passed, Sections 54, 55, 56 and 57 of the ICT Act will be repealed," bdnews24.com reported.

"But the cases already initiated under the ICT Act will continue under that Act."

In line with the Digital Security Law, the government will also form a Digital Security Agency, Alam added.

--IANS

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