Bangladesh will be the first country globally to include data classification in its personal data protection law, according to Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, special assistant to the Chief Adviser for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology.
Speaking as the chief guest at a seminar titled “The nature of disinformation in Bangladesh’s media” held at the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) on Saturday, Taiyeb said the proposed law will categorise data that can identify individuals – known as personally identifiable information (PII) – and require it to be stored in-country.
Other data types such as images, videos and voice recordings may be stored abroad, provided they are mapped correctly, he added. Confidential data, including health records and financial information, will be accessible under regulated conditions and transparent processes.
Taiyeb also noted that under the updated Cyber Security Ordinance, all content generated or processed through artificial intelligence will be subject to cybercrime laws.
In his remarks, PIB Director General Faruk Wasif warned that over the past 15 years, the state had turned into a “factory of falsehood” with media becoming its enabler. He said fact-checking alone cannot counter disinformation; instead it must be addressed through broader social mobilisation.
Seminar attendees heard a presentation by Mamun or Rashid, advisor to the EBLICT project at the Bangladesh Computer Council, on efforts to enrich Bangla language usage through information technology.