Digital Security Act ‘to silence people’

A group of university teachers at a webinar alleged that the government wants to silence people using the Digital Security Act, and that is why many people, including photojournalist Kajol, were arrested under this law.

They made the remarks at a webinar titled "Kajol-er Mukti Ebong Mukto Chinta" (Kajol's release and free-thinking) on Saturday night.

"Where is Kajol?," a social media campaign led by Kajol's son Monorom Polok, organised the programme.

Speaking there, Jahangirnagar University's economics teacher Anu Muhammad said the main purpose of this law is to scare people by using the legal system. 

Dhaka University's (DU) international relations teacher Md Tanzimuddin Khan said those who are trying to talk to protect people's rights, are being arrested under this law.

"This is a very dangerous time for free thinkers... We can only praise the government, not criticise it" he added.

DU sociology teacher Samina Luthfa said a journalist carries out his professional duty for his livelihood, but now that is also under threat. "A journalist is being arrested whenever he talks about government's corruption, violation of rule of law."

She said the government has arrested some culprits including Regent Hospital owner Shahed, but masterminds behind the corruption are yet to be arrested. 

JU anthropology teacher Sayeed Ferdous said the foundations of the state are being destroyed through this act.

"There is no effective opposition in the country and that is why mass people, artists, journalists, teachers are protesting against injustice, but that too cannot be done due to such an act," he claimed.

Ferdous said that many teachers are afraid to take online classes freely because they have to teach socio-politics and democracy and bring contemporary examples. "But the act does not allow this."

He urged the government to accept constructive criticism, saying "otherwise democracy will not exist."

The platform "Where is Kajol?" has been continuing a weeklong programme on its Facebook page since July 21. A number of teachers, journalists, rights and cultural activists have expressed solidarity with the campaign. 

Meanwhile, talking to The Daily Star, Kajol's son Polok alleged that the Digital Security Act completely undermines the government's claim of not intending to restrict the right to freedom of speech.

Polok said that his father was shown arrested in one of the three cases filed against him under the law.

"Among 32 accused in the case, only my father was in jail for 52 days in Jashore, and later he was shown arrested after 105 days since the case was filed. Even the case's prime accused, the Manabzamin editor, got bail," he said.

Kajol, the editor of the Daily Pokkhokal, was shown arrested under Digital Security Act in Jashore on May 3, after he was found at Benapole that day following his disappearance on March 10.