Most DSA cases filed by ruling party people: Study  

The ruling Awami League and its affiliated organisations have filed most of the cases under the Digital Security Act (DSA) in the last 26 months since January 2020, according to a study. 

Activists of different political parties and journalists are mostly victims in these cases. The ruling party has filed 206 out of 890 cases during this period, it added.  

Ali Riaz, a distinguished professor at Illinois State University, USA, at a webinar while presenting the study titled "Unending Nightmare: Impacts of Bangladesh's Digital Security Act 2018" said "This law has become a weapon of the ruling party. The aforementioned information is a big proof of that." 

In the webinar organised by the Center for Governance Studies (CGS) on Saturday, the study discloses that among the total 890 cases, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) filed 19 cases, police 87, other law enforcement agencies 5, the ruling party and it's affiliated 206, government officials 43, private employees 30, NGO and activists 5, businessmen 14, educators 18, journalists 25, legal practitioners 22, others 21, students 13, and 382 people whose identity could not be ascertained.

Of those who are affiliated with the political parties, 167 of them or 81% are directly involved with the ruling Bangladesh Awami League. 

"Among the complainants, 37 individuals were holding elected positions at national and local levels. Five of them are members of the parliament." 

The study also stated that among the accused, 207 were journalists, 41 educators, 10 NGO & activists, 254 politicians, 79 students, 32 government employees, 53 private employees, 79 businessmen, 21 legal practitioners, 8 religious leaders, 36 from other professions, 1424 of whom profession was not found.

Of the accused whose professions are known, 30.98% are politicians and more than a quarter are journalists, it added. 

The number of cases, accused and arrests are increasing as compared to 2020 and 2021, according to the study.

In the 26 months, 96 people filed 108 cases against 207 journalists. Among the complainants, 66 are aggrieved parties while 30 individuals were not directly affected by the news or actions of journalists. 

24 of them belong to the ruling party and its affiliates. Of them, 12 belong to Awami League, eight belong to the Chhatra League, three are members of the Juba League, and one of the Swechasebak League, it added. 

Ali Riaz said there are several major aspects of the Digital Security Act enacted in 2018. 

 Those are--- the law enforcement agencies have been given a lot of power and there is no system to monitor or hold them accountable; the act identifies offences in a way that is very unclear and allows for different interpretations and anyone can sue any person under this act which is a big threat to the rule of law and the judiciary.

Because of those, a large number of people are being accused and detained in cases under this act. The accused are facing long imprisonment before the commencement of the trial as most sections of this act are non-bailable.

Participants in the webinar strongly demanded for stopping the misuse of the act and its amendment.

With Center for Governance Studies Chairman Manzoor Ahmed Chowdhury in the chair, former Election Commissioner Brigadier General (Retd) M Sakhawat Hossain, Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan) Secretary Badiul Alam Majumder and Supreme Court Lawyer Barrister Tania Amir took part in the discussion.