Multiple international human rights organisations have expressed deep concern over the Bangladesh government’s draft Cyber Protection (Amendment) Act 2026. According to them, the proposed amendments appear to replicate several regressive provisions of the Digital Security Act of 2018, which was widely criticised for imposing severe restrictions on freedom of speech and expression. The organisations fear that the proposed amendments risk undermining media freedom and restricting public interest reporting.

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center, Front Line Defenders, and South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) expressed this alarm in a joint statement. In the statement, the organisations described themselves as committed to promoting and protecting human rights in Asia. Alongside the organisations, Josef Benedict, Asia Pacific Researcher at CIVICUS, also signed the statement.

The statement noted that the draft Cyber Protection (Amendment) Act 2026 proposes additional amendments to the Cyber Protection Act 2026, which was enacted on 10 April 2026 and amended shortly thereafter on 30 June 2026. The organisations stated that while they recognise the Government of Bangladesh’s responsibility to effectively address cybercrime, strengthen cyber security and protect the privacy of its citizens, such measures must be pursued in a manner that fully respects human rights and fundamental freedoms. Efforts to enhance digital security should not result in undue restrictions on freedom of expression, access to information, media freedom, or other constitutionally and internationally protected rights.

According to the organisations, several terms used in the draft law, including ‘rumour’, ‘misinformation’, ‘digital defamation’, ‘humiliation’, ‘bullying’, and ‘fake news’ are vague, overly broad, and open to subjective interpretation. The absence of clear and precise definitions creates significant scope for misapplication and arbitrary enforcement.

Furthermore, the new offences introduced in Sections 25 and 26 impose severe penalties, including lengthy terms of imprisonment, substantial fines, and provisions permitting pre-trial detention for conduct related to online expression. For example, Section 26A prescribes penalties of up to ten years imprisonment, a fine of Taka 4 million, or both, for the online publication or dissemination of rumours and disinformation. The organisations noted that such provisions raise serious concerns regarding the criminalisation of online expression and the potential for individuals to be criminalised before the accuracy or intent of contested claims can be properly assessed. Granting excessive discretion to authorities also increases the risk of selective enforcement and abuse.

Additionally, concerns were raised that proposed amendments would expand the number of authorities empowered to seek the blocking of digital content and make certain crimes non-bailable.

In the statement, the organisations noted that the Government of Bangladesh carried out a consultation on 10 September 2026, but invited only some media professionals and did not involve civil society organisations or human rights defenders. Yet, it was media professionals, civil society organisations, and human rights defenders who together campaigned against the draconian Digital Security Act of 2018 as the stakeholders severely affected by that Act in the past. The draft Act was posted online on 14 September 2026, giving only a little more than a week to send comments on it. The organisations observed that these efforts seem to suggest that the Government wishes to establish the argument that consultation efforts have been undertaken without really taking into consideration the concerns of the relevant stakeholders.

Therefore, the organisations strongly urged the Government of Bangladesh to immediately withdraw the draft Cyber Protection (Amendment) Act 2026 in its current form. At the same time, they called upon the relevant authorities to initiate a genuine, inclusive, and time-bound consultation process with human rights defenders, civil society, media professionals, technology experts, legal practitioners, and other stakeholders to ensure that any amendments are comprehensive, rights-respecting, and consistent with Bangladesh’s constitutional guarantees and its international human rights obligations and standards.