The government has completed all procedures to set up a special tribunal in Dhaka to deal with cyber crimes that include hacking, blackmailing, defaming individuals and extortion online.
The law ministry on Thursday approved the issuance of a gazette notification on the establishment of the tribunal under the Information and Communications Technology Act 2006 to exclusive try online crimes in a speedy manner, officials said.
‘The document has been sent to the BG Press for gazette notification after approval of all the authorities concerned… We are now looking for a judge having the knowledge of ICT for appointment at the cyber tribunal,’ a senior law ministry official told New Age.
The cyber tribunal would be set up in the capital with the whole country under its jurisdiction, the official added.
The government in keeping with the ICT law could transfer any such cases filed earlier with other courts to the cyber tribunal.
The initiative came weeks after the UK-based Economist in early December 2012 said that it had in its possession 17-hour conversation on Skype and 230 e-mails exchanged between former International Crimes Tribunal 1 chairman Justice Md Nizamul Huq and Bangladeshi expatriate in Brussels Ahmed Ziauddin.
Nizamul Huq stepped down on December 11 as the tribunal 1 chair on the heels of media reports on his Skype conversations with lawyer Ziauddin at home and abroad.
A local daily newspaper had published a series of reports on the conversation until the court imposed a ban on the publication of the personal talk on Skype recorded by some quarters by way of hacking.
The prime minister earlier approved the law ministry proposal for the establishment of the cyber tribunal, led by a district and sessions judge.
‘Cyber crimes are increasing globally day by day and it is very urgent in the circumstances to ensure ICT security,’ said the proposal signed by the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, on December 31.
The prime minister also endorsed the creation of six positions in different categories including a judge of the rank of district and sessions judge for the tribunal and support staff.
Although one such tribunal would initially be set up in Dhaka covering the whole of Bangladesh, the law stipulates that one or more cyber tribunals could be set up for an effective and speedy trial of criminal activities committed online, officials said.
The ICT law stipulates a maximum of 10 years of imprisonment with a fine of Tk 1 crore for committing crimes under the law.