Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Monday assured that the proposed Cyber Security (Amendment) Act, 2026 would not be allowed to become a repressive law and that journalists and media outlets would be protected against its misuse.
“We did not want to make this law targeting the media and we do not want that. Our main objective is to ensure that no journalist becomes a victim of misuse of the law,” he said.
Salahuddin made the remarks while briefing journalists at the Bangladesh Secretariat after a consultation meeting with editors, journalists and representatives of print and electronic media on the draft legislation.
State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Yasser Khan Choudhury, ministry Secretary Mahbuba Farjana and Principal Information Officer Syed Abdal Ahmed, among others, spoke at the briefing.
The home minister said the government would finalise the bill only after extensive consultations with IT experts, media professionals, human rights organisations and other stakeholders.
He said the draft had already been published on the government website to seek public feedback following a Cabinet directive for wider consultations. Opinions received from various institutions, human rights groups, students and cyberspace users are being reviewed, he added.
At the meeting, Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam proposed further consultations between media and cybersecurity experts to ensure the law does not adversely affect journalists and that appropriate safeguards, including a “saving clause”, are incorporated into it.
“The government has accepted the proposal,” Salahuddin said.
One of the key proposals discussed at the meeting was making prior court approval mandatory before taking action against or arresting a journalist, the minister said.
Stakeholders will submit formal recommendations on the proposal within 15 days, which will be considered for possible inclusion in the draft, he added.
The government also plans to set specific time limits for disposing of cases and appeals so that people do not remain entangled in legal proceedings indefinitely, Salahuddin said.
The Principal Information Officer has been designated as the focal point for coordinating the consultation process, while the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will jointly oversee it.
Representatives of media organisations and cybersecurity experts will participate in the next phase of consultations and are expected to submit specific recommendations within seven to 15 days.
The revised draft will then be published again on the government website to allow the public and stakeholders another opportunity to provide feedback before it is placed before the Cabinet.
The bill will subsequently undergo inter-ministerial review before being placed before the Cabinet, Salahuddin said. If approved, it will be introduced in Parliament.
He said the government would not rush the legislation through Parliament, adding that parliamentary discussions as well as views expressed at seminars and symposiums outside Parliament would be considered before the law is finalised.
The proposed legislation is intended to create a framework to protect citizens, particularly young people, from cybercrime while safeguarding social and religious harmony, family values and local culture in line with international standards, the minister said.
The government has been reviewing the draft since forming a Cabinet committee in July to examine and finalise the proposed amendments.
The consultation comes as journalists, lawyers and rights groups have raised concerns that provisions relating to misinformation, defamation, content removal and arrests could be misused to restrict free expression and journalism.