DSA amendment by September: Law minister

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq has said the Digital Security Act will be amended by September this year.

He made the remark after a meeting with Uzra Zeya, US Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, at the Secretariat on Thursday.

The minister had expressed a similar commitment earlier this year. In May, he said a special high-power committee would be formed soon to review all existing complaints filed under the DSA, after an expert at the United Nations office in Geneva raised concern over the ‘draconian law’.

On May 21, Anisul Huq said the DSA would be amended by this September in consultation with the civil society members, while addressing a dialogue in the capital’s BRAC University.

Earlier on Thursday, Uzra Zeya called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence. She is also scheduled to have meetings with Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, and Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen.

She will have dinner with Salman F Rahman, PM's Private Industries and Investment Adviser.

On Wednesday, she had a full day in the Rohingya camp in Cox's Bazar. "Thrilled to be in Bangladesh. Thanks for the warm welcome," Zeya tweeted after she arrived in Dhaka on Tuesday evening.

Uzra Zeya is accompanied by US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu and Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Asia, USAID Anjali Kaur, according to the foreign ministry.

/KN/