The Cyber Security (amendment) Bill, 2026 was passed in the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) aiming to enable the swift removal of harmful and defamatory AI-generated content from social media platforms.
Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam moved the Bill, which was passed unanimously by voice vote in the House with Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikram, in the chair.
Before passage, opposition Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami lawmakers Shahjahan Chowdhury, M Abdul Gafur, Zahirul Islam, GM Nazrul Islam, Amir Hamza, along with Independent MPs Rumeen Farhana and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Iqbal, urged that the Bill be sent to a review committee for further scrutiny and public consultation. However, their proposal was rejected by voice vote.
While placing the Bill, the ICT minister said the amendments would require international technology platforms, including Meta, to remove disputed content within a specified timeframe.
He added that the changes would update definitions of misinformation and defamation and introduce stricter penalties for violations.
The minister said neighbouring countries already have legal provisions mandating platforms such as Meta to remove content within 24 hours, while Bangladesh’s existing framework lacks similar enforcement mechanisms.
Under the new law, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and other authorised agencies will be empowered to block content and request user data from digital platforms where necessary.
Earlier on 27 June, the House referred the draft law to the parliamentary standing committee on the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs for scrutiny, instructing it to submit its report within three days.
