The widely condemned cybersecurity law is likely to be repealed.

The caretaker government’s Consultative Council is expected to approve an ordinance tomorrow (November 7) to nullify the controversial law promulgated by the ousted Awami League regime.

The ICT Division will present the draft “Cyber ​​Security Act (Repeal) Ordinance, 2024” for main approval at the Advisory Council meeting chaired by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, officials familiar with the matter told The Business Standard.

The matter was included in the agenda of the meeting, officials said.

Earlier last week, Advisor for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Nahid Islam announced that the CSA would be repealed within a week.

After a meeting of the Advisory Council, he also said, “All cases filed under this law will be withdrawn.”

Not just the CSA, but all such laws that create barriers to expression of opinion are under review, the councilor added.

Tomorrow’s Advisory Council meeting is also expected to give the project its primary and final approval “The Smoking and Use of Tobacco (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2024”.

In the last two meetings, the draft of this ordinance was put on the agenda for approval, but it was not approved.

Human rights activists across the country and abroad have criticized the CSA as a tool for the AL regime to suppress descent on online platforms and restrict freedom of expression.

As of September 30, a total of 5,818 cases filed under the CSA and its predecessors – the Information and Communications Technology Act and the Digital Security Act – were pending in the country’s eight cyber tribunals.

After the caretaker government took over, many accused in cases filed under the draconian laws have been granted bail and efforts are being made to repeal such laws.

The fallen AL regime is accused of using the ICT Act, DSA and CSA to repress journalists, political opponents and other dissidents.

The original predecessor of the CSA, the ICT Act was introduced in 2006 during the quadripartite alliance regime.

During the Awami League-led government, the ICT ACT was amended and a stricter version of it – the Digital Security Act, 2018 – was enacted.

Under Section 32 of the DSA, cases have been filed against those with opposing views and news online under the non-bailable section.

The United States, the European Union and other human rights organizations have called for the repeal of Article 32 of the DSA.

Facing pressure, the Awami League government repealed the law and enacted the Cyber ​​Security Act, 2023.