Question arise over the necessity of new telecommunication act with little change
Earlier, the government had amended the telecommunication act revising a few sections back in 2006 and 2010. The draft this time included almost everything from the previous act. However, the proposed law doesn’t mention if the previous act will be abolished or not.
It only states that the Telegraph Act 1885 and Wireless Act 1933 will be abolished. However, if any provisions or anything from the two mentioned acts is consistent with the proposed act, those can be applied.
When asked about the draft, state minister for posts, telecommunication and information technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak told Prothom Alo, “It (draft) hasn’t been finalised yet and being discussed with the stakeholders.”
“Fourteen years have passed since the last revision (existing act). A lot of technological changes have been brought in the meantime. The new act is needed indeed for the Smart Bangladesh Vision and the demand of the present time,” he continued.
On the topic of abolishing the previous act he said that the decision on what will happen to the previous acts will be taken after discussion and proposal.
Among the notable changes brought in the draft there is the inclusion of all types of telecommunication services including social media, online platforms, cell broadcasting and internet protocol (IP) based services under the jurisdiction of the act.
