'No suppression of free speech in name of security'

Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal on Thursday said the government would neither suppress freedom of expression in the name of security nor allow disinformation to be spread under the guise of free speech to undermine anyone's dignity.

"We will never suppress freedom of expression in the name of security, nor will we allow disinformation to be spread under the guise of freedom of expression with the intention of undermining anyone's dignity," he said.

The Deputy Speaker was addressing a seminar titled "Challenges to Security and Human Rights in the Digital Age: Curbing Misinformation and Disinformation in the Bangladesh Context" organised by the Faculty of Security and Strategic Studies (FSSS) of Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP) in the capital, UNB reports.

He said the previous government had used strict digital security laws, including the ICT Act, the Digital Security Act and the Cyber Security Act, as weapons for more than a decade.

Under the pretext of preventing rumours, those laws had been used to imprison students, silence journalists and suppress dissent, Kayser Kamal said, adding that the present government was firmly committed to preventing a recurrence of that dark chapter.

Addressing the students, he said the youth should not remain mere consumers of digital content; rather they should become ambassadors of truth through responsible conduct and critical thinking, giving greater importance to human dignity than digital popularity.

"Take the lead in promoting digital literacy. Before sharing a sensational post or reacting to a video that provokes anger, pause to verify the source and question the motive. Refuse to let your fingers become tools of those who seek to divide us," the Deputy Speaker said, addressing the students.

Paying tribute to BUP alumnus Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdho and all those who were killed during the July 2024 uprising, he said the students represented not merely university students but also the pioneers of the July Revolution.

"You stood against a 15-year-long authoritarian and fascist regime in July-August 2024. When the ousted government completely shut down the internet to conceal its brutality, you kept the truth alive in Bangladesh," Kayser Kamal said.

He said the students had proved that no autocrat could silence a conscious and fearless generation forever. "You are the generation that restored our voting rights and gave us democracy," he added.

The Deputy Speaker said nowadays the planned use of misinformation and disinformation had emerged as a new and serious threat to security and human dignity in democratic Bangladesh.

He said a single click could connect millions of people, while a single false message could trigger panic, hatred, confusion and even violence.
Kayser Kamal stressed the need to incorporate digital literacy, information verification and responsible online behaviour into the curricula of educational institutions, universities and schools.

PM's Policy and Strategy Adviser Dr Zahed Ur Rahman, Chairman of the Osmani Centre for Peace and Security Studies (OCPASS) Lt Gen (retd) Mohammad Mahfuzur Rahman; assistant professors of the BUP Department of Law Preeti Kona Shikder and Wakila Hossain, among others, spoke at the seminar.

The BUP Vice-Chancellor, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, teachers and students also attended the seminar.