Shahzeb Mahmood

A study by Tech Global Institute shows that law enforcement, regulatory, and intelligence agencies have spent at least $190 million on surveillance technologies and spyware deployed against citizens.

The country now possesses the infrastructural capacity to watch more people, more closely, and for more arbitrary reasons.

Given that fundamental rights are the default and restrictions are exceptions, internet shutdowns are, by nature, unlawful.

The necessary steps that must be taken in consultation with the constitution for a just democracy in Bangladesh.

It all started when a public interest litigation was filed in the summer of 2020, alleging infringement of constitutional rights due to the government’s failure to regulate content in over-the-top (OTT) media services.

Privacy is an edgy topic suffering from historical neglect, but is rapidly becoming all-important with the proliferation of the internet, increased social media consumption and escalating surveillance efforts.

The Government of Bangladesh is drafting a data protection and localisation law (“draft data protection act, DPA” or “the law”), which, once enacted, will be the first of its kind data privacy law in Bangladesh.