Published: 28 April 2024
Better than Earlier
Still a Tool for Control and Surveillance
The then outgoing Cabinet of Bangladesh approved the draft Personal Data Protection Act, 2024 (PDPA) on 27th November 2023, immediately before the 12th General Election. With the general election concluded the draft law is expected to be placed before the parliament soon. As a clear break from the tradition, this specific piece of legislation has gone through several rounds of revision, and various stakeholders, including Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) and other civil rights organisations, were involved in the review process. We appreciate that the draft, in its current form, incorporates many recommendations put forward by the stakeholders, including TIB. However, after careful consideration, it has become clear that this review has become a ‘number game’ where many recommendations have been accepted. In contrast, crucial recommendations involving the safeguarding of fundamental rights remained overlooked. The current TIB and Article 19 South Asia review will only focus on these critical aspects.
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