BNP on Tuesday alleged that the ‘Digital Security Bill’ approved by the Cabinet will hamper the press freedom and freedom of expression as it has been framed with the ‘spirit of Baksal’.

‘The press freedom and the freedom of expression will be snatched through the act as they (Awami League) did it in the fast introducing Baksal. The government is indirectly following the path of Baksal,’ said BNP senior leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, reports the UNB.

He came up with the allegation while speaking at a discussion arranged by Bangladesh Ganotantrik Sangskritik Jote at the National Press Club.

The Cabinet on Monday approved the draft of the Digital Security Bill, 2018 aiming to deal with cybercrimes, including hurting the religious sentiment, negative propaganda against the Liberation War and the Father of Nation, and illegal activities like inter-transactions and spreading defamatory data.

Many crimes mentioned in the draft law have been made cognizable and non-bailable offences.

Opposing the Bill, Mosharraf, a BNP standing committee member, said the new law will be more dangerous than the section 57 of the ICT Act. ‘We strongly condemn and protest the approval of the Bill in the Cabinet.’

BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi termed the Bill anti-democratic and mediaeval one.

Speaking at a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office, he urged the government not to pass the bill in parliament.

‘The Digital Security Bill will be considered as a black law. The mass media will lose its freedom while people their freedom of expression if the Bill is passed.’

The BNP leader alleged that the government has formulated the Bill so that journalists cannot write against it or about its corruption. ‘Journalists will be harassed by it like section 57 of the ICT Act.’

He also said the freedom of expression will become as a criminal offence while democratic forces will be treated as criminals if the Bill is passed. ‘We urge government to refrain from passing the Bill in parliament.’