WEB DESK
Bangladesh Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud has said that the statement by 12 countries regarding the Digital Security Act is tantamount to interference in the internal affairs of the country. Speaking to the media in Chattogram, Dr. Hasan Mahmud said that the concerned diplomats will be made aware of the obligations of the Vienna convention, if necessary, reports the official news agency BSS. He said the government has ensured the freedom of the media and it is determined to maintain that freedom.
Earlier on Thursday, Media Freedom Coalition in Bangladesh, a group of 12 countries including Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States issued a statement expressing concern over reports of violence and intimidation against journalists citing some recent instances including the arrest of a journalist of Bangladesh’s largest circulating daily Prothom Alo under the Digital Security Act (DSA) earlier this week for allegedly publishing a false report on 26 March defaming the independence.
In another statement on Friday, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called on Bangladesh to immediately suspend the Digital Security Act. Expressing concern over the arrest of journalists, Volker said DSA is being used to muzzle critical voices online.
The US State Department’s Principal Deputy Spokesperson, Vedant Patel, responding to media questions on Friday, said that the US remained deeply concerned about the use of DSA by the government of Bangladesh against the members of the press. He said freedom of expression is an essential element of democracy, especially in an election year. Vedant Patel said no members of the press should be threatened, harassed, physically attacked, or arrested for simply doing their job.