The government has drafted a new ordinance proposing up to five years in prison or fines of up to Tk 99 crore for individuals, groups, or organizations that spread religious, communal, or ethnic hatred through telecommunication or wireless platforms.
The Postal & Telecommunications Division (PTD) released the draft on Wednesday (November 5) and opened it to public feedback on its website.
According to Section 66(K) of the draft ordinance, using telecom or wireless devices to circulate content that threatens national integrity, security, or defense—or content that provokes violence, disorder, cyberattacks, or economic harm—will be treated as a criminal offense. Violations may result in a maximum of five years’ imprisonment, a fine up to ৳99 crore, or both.
The provision also covers interference with satellite signals, GPS and navigation systems, air-defense communication, emergency services, or strategic fiber networks, as well as bulk SMS fraud, AI-driven scam calls, identity-data fraud, and harmful electromagnetic interference.
Telecom service providers who fail to comply with regulatory directives regarding such offenses may face the same maximum penalties, the draft states. In any dispute over interpretation, a court’s explanation will prevail.
The draft also introduces updated penalties under Section 69(K) for transmitting obscene, threatening, defamatory, or extortion-related messages via telecom or wireless equipment. Offenses could carry up to two years in prison and fines up to ৳1.5 crore, while extortion-related messaging could result in up to five years in prison and fines up to ৳5 lakh.
Under Section 70, making repeated nuisance calls without reasonable cause may lead to a ৳1 lakh fine, or up to six months in jail if unpaid.
Public feedback on the ordinance may be submitted until November 15 via email at secretary@ptd.gov.bd or by mail to the Secretary, Posts and Telecommunications Division, Bangladesh Secretariat, Dhaka.
