Dhaka, Sep 30 (V7N): The government has announced plans to withdraw all cases related to "speech offences" under various cyber laws, with detainees set to be released promptly through legal procedures.

According to a notification from the Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs, as of August 2024, 5,818 cases have been filed across eight cyber tribunals under the Information and Communication Technology Act, 2006, the Digital Security Act, 2018, and the Cyber Security Act, 2023.

The notification classified the cases into two categories: "speech offences" related to free speech on digital platforms and "computer offences" involving crimes such as hacking or fraud using digital devices.

Among the 1,340 ongoing speech offence cases, 461 are still under investigation, while 879 are at trial. These include 279 cases filed under the ICT Act, 786 under the Digital Security Act, and 275 under the Cyber Security Act.

The government intends to expedite the withdrawal of all speech offence cases in coordination with the Ministry of Law and the Ministry of Home Affairs. Investigating officers have also been instructed to file final reports and dispose of the 461 cases still under investigation swiftly.

Detainees linked to these cases will be released as part of this initiative.

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