No misuse of Cyber Security Act against journalists: Home Minister

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed made the remarks at a press briefing on Monday following a consultation meeting with print and electronic media stakeholders on the draft law at the Bangladesh Secretariat

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said the proposed Cyber Security (Amendment) Act, 2026 will not be allowed to become an oppressive law and that the government will take the recommendations of stakeholders into consideration to protect journalists and the media.

He made the remarks at a press briefing on Monday following a consultation meeting with print and electronic media stakeholders on the draft law at the Bangladesh Secretariat.

The minister said the government was highly cautious to ensure that no journalist or media outlet becomes a victim of the proposed law.

He said the legislation would be finalised through consultations and extensive discussions with different sections of society.

Salahuddin made the remarks at the press briefing after a consultation meeting held at the conference room of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting at the Bangladesh Secretariat to review the draft Cyber Security (Amendment) Act, 2026.

Briefing journalists on the decisions taken at the meeting, the minister said the draft bill prepared to amend the Cyber Security Act had previously been placed before the Cabinet.

The Cabinet had instructed the authorities to hold extensive discussions and consultations with IT experts working in cyberspace and all relevant stakeholders, he said.

Following the directive, the draft bill was published on the government website to collect opinions from all sections of society and ensure that the law does not become an oppressive tool.

The minister said various institutions, human rights organisations, students and cyberspace users had already submitted their opinions, which had been compiled by the government.

Salahuddin said Monday’s meeting was the government’s second meeting with editors, representatives of major print and electronic media outlets, senior journalists, newspaper organisations and professional associations of journalists.

At the first meeting with editors on 10 September 2026, it was decided that they would submit specific written opinions at the next meeting or send them through the website, he said. Many participants presented summaries of their views at Monday’s meeting and pledged to submit their recommendations in writing.

Referring to the discussions, the minister said Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam had made an important proposal for further detailed discussions involving media and cyber experts.

The proposal called for more time for intensive discussions to ensure that the media is not harmed or victimised in any way and that necessary ‘saving clauses’ or protective provisions are included in the law.

The government had accepted the proposal, Salahuddin said.

“We did not want to make this law targeting the media, and we do not want that. Our main goal is to ensure that no journalist becomes a victim of misuse of the law,” the minister said.

Regarding measures to protect journalists working for newspapers, print, electronic and online media, the minister said an important proposal had been made at the meeting to make prior court approval mandatory before taking action against or arresting any journalist.

The government considers the proposal appropriate and reasonable, he said.

The minister said formal recommendations from stakeholders on the matter would be received within the next 15 days and incorporated into the bill.

A provision will also be included to set a specific time limit for resolving cases or appeals so that no one remains in limbo indefinitely, he said.

As the next step in finalising the draft law, the minister announced the formation of a special coordination mechanism.

The Principal Information Officer (PIO) has been designated as the focal point for overall coordination and consultation, he said.

The Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will jointly coordinate the process.

Representatives of the Editors Guild, the Electronic Media Association and a special panel of cyber experts formed by the IT Ministry will actively participate in the process.

The stakeholders will provide specific recommendations within seven to 15 days, after which the relevant ministries and committee members will meet jointly to make decisions, the minister said.

Describing the next stages of the legal process, Salahuddin said the revised draft would be published on the website again before being sent to the Cabinet, based on the recommendations received.

This would give the public and stakeholders another opportunity to provide their views, he said. Acceptable recommendations would also be incorporated into the draft.

The bill would then undergo a final review at an inter-ministerial meeting before being placed before the Cabinet for approval. If approved by the Cabinet, the bill would be placed before Parliament.

The minister said the bill would not be rushed through Parliament. Government and opposition lawmakers would participate in parliamentary discussions, while opinions from seminars and symposiums outside Parliament would also be considered before a final decision is made.

Describing the main objective of the proposed Cyber Security (Amendment) Act, 2026, Salahuddin said the government wanted to formulate a balanced law to protect the country, society and particularly young people from various cyber crimes and criminal activities spreading like an infectious disease.

He said the law was also being formulated to protect social and religious harmony, family bonds and the country’s culture while maintaining consistency with international standards.