FROM PAGE 2

“In reality, old laws have simply been reintroduced under new names, offering little support for people’s empowerment. Ironically, many parliamentary leaders themselves suffered from the misuse of such laws in the past, yet they have enacted similar legislation again.”

Other speakers warned that the interrelation of these laws could create a framework for mass surveillance.

At the conference, Susan Vize, Unesco country representative to Bangladesh, said, “Every law must be examined in the context of society. The new government should take the opportunity to review these laws and strengthen protections for human rights.”

The Daily Star Joint Editor Aasha Mehreen Amin said, “Cases over Facebook posts continue under this government just as before. Journalists remain as vulnerable to surveillance risks now as they were earlier.”

Muhammad Anwar Uddin, additional secretary of the ministry of posts, telecommunications, and information, said, “These laws are necessary and important. Any problems can be corrected later, and the government is already working to improve them.”

Mahmud Hossain, commissioner of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), said, “Laws often change due to the influence of different interest groups. Some powerful groups can reach policymakers more easily than others, which creates a lack of trust. However, BTRC strives to formulate policies through dialogue with all stakeholders.”

Ruzan Sarwar, manager at Meta’s public policy; Pratyush Rao, head of public and regulatory affairs at Telenor Asia; and Sadia Haque, CEO of ShareTrip, among others, spoke.