Time to completely scrap the Digital Security Act (DSA)
Roton Malo:
Bangladesh’s journalists are stunned and horrified by the barbaric murder of journalist Golam Rabbani Nadim in Jamalpur. Nadim was the district correspondent of Banglanews24.com and Bakshiganj Upazila Correspondent of Ekattor TV.
Nadim was beaten by Union Parishad Chairman’s men on Wednesday (June 14). He succumbed to severe injuries on Thursday (June 15) at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital.
Sadhur Para Union Parishad chairman Mahmudul Alam Babu who is also the general secretary of Jamalpur Sadhurpara Union unit of Awami League filed a case against Nadim and other journalists under the Digital Security Act (DSA) with Mymensingh Cyber Tribunal.
UP Chairman filed a case against Nadim as he wrote a report that published on Banglanews24.com four days earlier. The cyber tribunal dismissed the case against Nadim on Wednesday.
Ironically, the dismissal of the case under DSA brought curse to journalist Nadim on Wednesday. The scrupulous chairman first wanted to punish journalist Nadim by the DSA. But as soon as he failed to do so, the direct attack came on Nadim in darkness. 
According to a local journalist, that Chairman’s son was one of the ‘criminals’ who hit Nadim on Wednesday night. A video clip of the attack was circulated on social media shows the notorious and indiscriminate attack on Nadim by steel bars and rods.
Khandaker Al Moin, spokesperson of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on Friday said that the elite force is working to arrest the killers of journalist Golam Rabbani Nadim.
“RAB initiated shadow probe right after the incident and has been conducting raids to nab the killers of Nadim. No matter, how powerful the killers are, they will be brought to book soon,” the RAB Legal and Media Wing Director said at a press briefing held at its Karwanbazar media center on Friday noon.
The Law Enforcers have detailed six in Nadim’s murder incident so far. But the crucial ones, who planed the murder are still fugitive!
Journalists, specially who are working in Upazila and district level, are the most victim of the DSA because the powerful people in close connection with the ruling government threatening journalists to go with them and avoid writing against any injustice they commit in society. 
As long as a journalist stay blind to corruption of local powerful people, journalists are safe! But soon after any news release against those scrupulous powerful people, the journos become the victims and fall in the trap of DSA.
Thus, Nadim fall prey to the DSA and lost his life for writing the truth against thr ‘corrupted’ Union Parishad Chairman Mahmudul Alam Babu.
The misuse of DSA has been less prioritized by the people on power in recent days, but the examples of attacks on journalists were increasing while the cases against journalists under DSA were also on the rise.
According to the Unesco observation, altogether 26 journalists have been killed in Bangladesh between 2004 and 2022.
Marking the World Press Freedom Day, UNESCO Dhaka Office organized a panel discussion titled ‘Shaping a Future of Rights.’
During the discussion, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq MP said that “The government is working to amend some sections of the Digital Security Act (DSA). The government wants to amend the DSA law within this term, so I say that the law will be amended by September this year (2023).”
–Writer Roton Malo is a freelance journalist and development worker. Contact Email: [email protected]
