Staff Correspondent

The government is taking measures to ensure that no one is arrested or sued under the Digital Security Act (DSA) before investigation, Law Minister Anisul Huq has said.

“We are thinking about incorporating a provision in the Digital Security Act so that no case is filed and none can be arrested under this law before an inquiry into the allegations is conducted,” he told The Daily Star last night.

“I have been engaged with the office of the Human Rights Commission in Geneva for the last few months for sharing information regarding the best practices of the Digital Security Act all over the world. I will engage in a dialogue on the same issue next week. I have a plan to form a monitoring team so that there can be no scope to abuse the law.”

Voices against the controversial DSA have grown even louder after the death of writer Mushtaq Ahmed, who died in Kashimpur High-Security Jail-3 in Gazipur on Thursday.

The government is trying to make a decision to ensure no one is arrested prior to investigation, the minister said.

Asked about bail under the act, the law minister said the government has prepared a set of rules regarding when to provide bail and when not to.

About the misuse of law, Huq said they are taking measures to stop it.

He, however, said the DSA is a “very necessary law” as it has been formulated in order to give protection to the people and state from digital offences, and therefore, there is no question of repealing it.