Inu downplays concern over section 57

Amid growing demands for the repeal of section 57 of the ICT Act, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu in parliament yesterday rejected allegations that the section was being used for harassing journalists.

Responding to a supplementary question, he said, “I don't think keeping section 57 of the Information Communication and Technology Act is against human rights. It's not true that the law is applicable only for journalists … The law was made for 16 crore people.

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“There are 2,800 registered newspapers and 1,800 online news portals in the country and several thousand journalists are working there. A very few journalists were arrested under section 57 of the ICT Act and they are getting bails when they are going to courts,” he said.

The law will come into play only if anyone creates anarchy, maligns someone's character, spreads lies and religious hatred, destroys communal and religious harmony using social media like Facebook and Twitter, he added.

So far, no one has moved to the higher court to challenge the law, Inu said, responding to Jatiya Party MP Pir Fazlur Rahman's supplementary question.

Fazlur asked the information minister what steps the government took so that journalists were not suppressed by the ICT act.

According to The Daily Star tally, at least 23 journalists were sued under section 57 of the ICT act since March.

Law Minister Anisul Huq on several occasions said the section would be scrapped.

On Monday, he said the government would decide on the section next month while finalising the draft of the Digital Security Act.