DHAKA, Mar 29, 2025 (BSS) - A total of 410 cases, lodged with the Cyber ??Tribunals in eight divisions across the country from 2019 to 2024, have been scrapped.

The Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs disclosed this on its website recently.

Of the scrapped cases under the Cyber Act, 21 are in Dhaka division, 130 in Chittagong division, 103 in Sylhet division, 53 in Khulna division, 48 in Barisal division, 40 in Rangpur division, 13 in Mymensingh division and two in Rajshahi division, the website read.

Prof Dr Asif Nazrul, the Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser to the Interim Government, said the cases filed under the Cyber Act on charges of expression of opinion (speech offence) are being withdrawn.
On October 3, the law adviser in a meeting at the Judicial Administration Training Institute said the government has decided to withdraw the cases related to 'speech offence' filed under the Cyber Act.

At the same time, if anyone is arrested in these related cases, he or she will also be freed immediately through legal process, the meeting was told.

Till the month of August, 2024, a total of 5,818 cases remained pending in the country's eight cyber tribunals under the Information and Communication Technology Act 2006, the Digital Security Act 2018 and the Cyber Security Act 2023.

Besides, 1,340 cases related to 'speech offence' are ongoing in the court. Of these, 279 cases are under the Information and Communication Technology Act, 786 under the Digital Security Act and 275 others under the Cyber Security Act.

Of these cases, 461 cases are under investigation by the members of the investigation agencies, and 879 cases are under trial in eight cyber tribunals across the country.

Certain sections of the Information and Communication Technology Act, the Digital Security Act and the Cyber Security Act are barriers to the freedom of speech and independent journalism as well.

Although people from different walks of life raised strong protests against the relevant sections of the act, the erstwhile deposed Awami League government did not pay any attention to the issue.
Against the backdrop of the students' mass uprising coinciding with a charter of demands, the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina had to leave the country and fled to India on August 5 last year.

Subsequently, an interim government headed by Nobel Laureate Prof. Dr Muhammad Yunus was sworn in on August 8 last year.