Science and Technology Desk: The Mobile Phone Consumers Association has demanded to recognize the Internet as a fundamental right. The organization urged the government to ensure the privacy of digital communications by amending Article 43 of the Constitution.

This demand was made in a seminar organized at Sagar-Rooney Hall of Dhaka Reporters Unity on Wednesday. The seminar held under the chairmanship of Mohiuddin Ahmed, president of Muthofone Consumer Association, was attended by technology analyst Fahim Mashroor, cyber security expert Tanveer Hasan Joha, IIGAB president Aminul Hakim, ISPAB joint general secretary Md. Abdul Qayyum Rashed, former Director of Competition Commission Khalid Abu Nasser and AB Party Joint Member Secretary Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuad.

In the meeting, Aminul Hakim said that to ensure the 4th and 5th fundamental rights of the state, it is essential to recognize the internet as a fundamental right. But in order to reduce the cost of broadband internet, NTTN and transmission sector should be increased by the government. Government's infrastructure worth thousands of rupees has become a hostage to private institutions. This issue needs to be resolved quickly.

Fahim Mashroor, a technology analyst, said that to reduce the cost of the Internet, different levels of barriers must be removed. This problem will not be solved if the monopoly of OTT and NTTN sector is not stopped. Apart from this, the rationale of phone tapping rules for data protection should be questioned.

In the panel discussion, Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuad said that political influence and extortion should be stopped in the internet sector and it should be transformed into a professional sector. The country lost 10 billion dollars due to internet shutdown for 15 days. The government has to take responsibility for this loss.

Mohiuddin Ahmed, president of the Mobile Phone Consumers Association, said that clause (b) of Article 43 of the Constitution mentions the protection of privacy of correspondence and communication. At present, it is important to include Internet and digital data protection in this section for the protection of communication information through various means of technology.

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All those present at the meeting expressed their opinion in favor of recognizing the Internet as a fundamental right and urged the government to take effective steps to protect information.