An Assessment of Privacy Regime in Bangladesh
A Legal Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32890/uumjls2022.13.2.4Keywords:
privacy, importance of privacy, Bangladeshi privacy regime, assessment, suggestions and recommendationsAbstract
Privacy is one of the most valued human rights in the information age. Due to the present digital world context, privacy appears as one of the pressing problems. In a data-driven world, a vast majority of works are going online using personal data. Personal data emerge as the new fuel to the Internet, and coin to the digital world. This digital atmosphere makes life easier, faster, and smarter, while simultaneously posing tremendous challenges to privacy. Therefore, the debate encompassing privacy evolves as one of the hot-button issues in contemporary world policies, politics, and business. In response, multiple policy measures have been adopted at national, regional, and international levels. To cope with this global trend, establish a safer online ecosystem, and secure citizens’ right to privacy, Bangladesh should maintain an adequate privacy protection regime. This landscape leads the current researcher to explore and assess the privacy protection regime of Bangladesh, as there is a lack of research in this area. There is a clear gap in the existing literature that requires to be filled in, and this research aimed to fill that gap using doctrinal legal research. The findings revealed that privacy was not adequately protected in Bangladesh due to, mainly, the lack of omnibus data privacy legislation. This article concluded by offering some workable suggestions, and especially, urged for enacting comprehensive data protection legislation in Bangladesh. Presumably, this research will enlighten all stakeholders regarding an overall picture of the privacy protection regime of Bangladesh. Moreover, this study will facilitate relevant stakeholders to map their future strategies and policy directions towards establishing an effective privacy protection regime in Bangladesh.
References
Abdul Ghani, A. I. M. (2020). Challenges for legal education in the era of I.R.4.0. UUM Journal of Legal Studies, 11(2), 27–51. https://doi.org/10.32890/uumjls. 11.2.2020.7731
Abdus Sobhan v Jamiruddin Jaigirder and Ors. (1988) BLD 257.
Advocate Manzill Murshid and others v Bangladesh. (2011). 40 CLC (HCD). Advocate Md. Salahuddin Dolon v Government of Bangladesh and Others. (2010). 39 CLC (HCD) [3765] 63 DLR (HD) (2011) 80.
Ahmed, S. I., Haque, M. R., Guha, S., Rifat, M. R., & Dell, N. (2017, May). Privacy, security, and surveillance in the global south: A study of biometric mobile SIM registration in Bangladesh. In Proceedings of the 2017 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, May 2017 (pp. 906–918).
Amena Khatun and others v Md. Afsaruddin. (1997). 26 CLC (HCD) [6339]/ 50 DLR (HCD) (1998) 156.
Ayub, Z. A., & Yusoff, Z. M. (2020). Right of online informational privacy of children in Malaysia: A statutory perspective. UUM Journal of Legal Studies, 9, 2020. Badiul Alam Majumdar v Information Commission, Bangladesh. (2015). 69 DLR (HCD) 100, Writ Petition No.798.
Bangladesh & Ors v BLAST & Ors, 55 DLR. (2003). 363.
Bangladesh Computer Council. (2019). e-Government Master Plan for Digital Bangladesh. https://bcc.portal.gov.bd/sites/default/ files/files/bcc.portal.gov.bd/publications/3f9cd471_9905_4122 _96ee_ced02b7598a9/2020-05-24-15-54-43f3d2b8b4523b5b6 2157b069302c4db.pdf Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association (BNWLA) v Bangladesh and others. (2009). 14 BLC (2009) 694. Bangladesh Society for the Enforcement of Human Rights (BSEHR) and Others v Government of Bangladesh and others. (2000). 29 CLC (HCD) [3662]/ 53 DLR (2001) 1.
Bangladesh Telecommunications Act, Act No. 18. (2001).
Bennett, C. J., & Raab, C. D. (2020). Revisiting the governance of privacy: Contemporary policy instruments in global perspective. Regulation and Governance, 14(3), 447-464.
Bennett, C., & Oduro Marfo, S. (2019, October). Privacy, voter surveillance and democratic engagement: Challenges for data protection authorities. In Proceedings of International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners (ICDPPC), October 2019. Retrieved from https://privacyconference2019.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ Privacy-and-International-Democratic-Engagement_finalv2. pdf
Buttarelli, G. (2016). The EU GDPR as a Clarion call for a new global digital gold standard. International Data Privacy Law, 6(2), 77.
Calhoun, J. B. (1950). The study of wild animals under controlled conditions. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 51(6), 1113–1122.
Castells, M., Blackwell, C. J. E., Planning, P. B., & Design. (1998). The information age: Economy, society and culture. Volume 1. The Rise of the Network Society. 25, 631–636.
Clarke, R. (2009). Privacy impact assessment: Its origins and development. Computer Law and Security Review, 25(2), 123.
Code of Civil Procedure, Act No. 5. (1908).
Code of Criminal Procedure, Act No. 5. (1898).
Constitute. (2021). Constitutions. https://www.constituteproject.org/ search?lang=en&key=privacy Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, President Order No. 76. (1972).
Cooley, T. M. (1930). A treatise on the Law of Torts (Vol. 2). Callaghan.
de Hert, P., & Schreuders, E. (2001). The relevance of Convention 108’ 33, 42: Proceedings of the Council of Europe Conference on Data Protection, November 2001, Warsaw: Poland.
Denning, A. T. D. (1949). Freedom under the law. London: Stevens.
Digital Security Act, Act No. 46. (2018). Dispute Resolution (Municipal Area) Board Act), Act No. 12. (2004).
Dr Shipra Chowdhury and another v Government of Bangladesh and others. (2009). 38 CLC (HCD) [9178] = 29 BLD (HCD) (209) 183.
Easement Act, Act No. 5 (1882).
Egelman, S., Bernd, J., Friedland, G., & Garcia, D. (2016, February). The teaching privacy curriculum. In Proceedings of the 47th ACM Technical Symposium on Computing Science Education (pp. 591–596).
Elison, L. M., & NettikSimmons, D. (1987). Right of privacy. Montana Law Review, 48(1), 1.
Family Courts Ordinance, Ordinance No. 18. (1985).
Gellert, R., & Gutwirth, S. (2013). The legal construction of privacy and data protection. Computer Law and Security Review, 29(5), 522–530. Government of Bangladesh and Others v Hussain Mohammad Ershad. (2000). 52 DLR (AD) 162.
Greenleaf, G. (2014). Asian data privacy laws: Trade and human rights perspectives. OUP Oxford.
Greenleaf, G. (2021). Global data privacy laws 2021: Despite COVID delays, 145 laws show GDPR dominance. Privacy Laws & Business International Report, 69, 1, 3–5. Imtiazur Rahman Farooqui (Md.) (MI Farooqui) v Bureau of Anti-Corruption and Others. (1998), 27 CLC (HCD)[7457]/ 51 DLR (HCD) (1999) 421.
Information and Communication Technology Act, Act No. 39. (2006).
Islam, M. T. (2018). Abu Bakar Munir, Siti Hajar Mohd Yasin and Ershadul Karim. Data protection law in Asia. International Data Privacy Law, 8(4), 338–340.
Islam, M. T., & Karim, M. E. (2019a). A brief historical account of global data privacy regulations and the lessons for Malaysia. SEJARAH: Journal of the Department of History, 28(2).
Islam, M. T., & Karim, M. E. (2020b). Extraterritorial application of the EU General Data Protection Regulation: An international law perspective. IIUM Law Journal, 28(2), 531–565.
Islam, M. T., Munir, A. B. & Karim, M. E. (2021). Revisiting the right to privacy in the digital age: A quest to strengthen the Malaysian data protection regime. Journal of Malaysian and Comparative Law, 48(1), 49–80.
Karim, M. (2020). Cyber law in Bangladesh: Wolters Kluwer, Netherlands.
Kuner, C. (2009). An international legal framework for data protection: Issues and prospects. Computer Law and Security Review, 25, 309.
Mendel, T., Puddephatt, A., Wagner, B., Hawtin, D., & Torres, N. (2012). Global survey on Internet privacy and freedom of expression. UNESCO.
Mirshekari, A., Ghasemi, R., & Fattahi, A. (2020). Digital accounts after death: A case study of Iranian law. UUM Journal of Legal Studies, 11(2), 153–182. https://doi.org/10.32890/ uumjls.11.2.2020.7505
Moore, A. D. (2003). Privacy: Its meaning and value. American Philosophical Quarterly, 40(3), 215.
O’Connor, N. (2018). Reforming the US approach to data protection and privacy. Council on Foreign Relations, 30.
OECD. (1980). OECD guidelines on the protection of privacy and transborder flows of personal data.
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. (2021). What Is privacy? https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/your-privacy-rights/what-is-privacy/#:~:text=Privacy%20is%20a%20 fundamental%20human,well%20as%20freedom%20from%20 discrimination.andtext=Generally%20speaking%2C%20 privacy%20includes%20the,freely%20with%20whom%20 you%20want Office of the Privacy Commissioner, Wellington, New Zealand (2007). Privacy impact assessment handbook. https://www. privacy.org.nz/assets/Uploads/Privacy-Impact-Assessment-Handbook-June2007.pdf
Orwell, G. (2009). Nineteen eighty-four: Everyman’s Library.
Partition Act, Act No. 4. (1893)
Penal Code, Act No. 45. (1860).
Penenberg, A. L. (2001). The surveillance society learning to love the end of privacy. WIRED-San Francisco, 9(12), 156–161.
Posner, R. A. (1977). The right of privacy. Georgia Law Review, 12, 393. Privacy International. (23 October 2017). What Is privacy? https://www.privacyprivacyinternational.org/explainer/56/what-privacy
Right to Information Act, Act. No. 20. (2009).
Rouvroy, A., & Poullet, Y. (2009). The right to informational self-determination and the value of self-development: Reassessing the importance of privacy for democracy. In Gutwirth, S. and others (Eds.), Reinventing data protection? (p. 70). Springer: Dordrecht.
Rubinstein, I. S., Nojeim, G. T., & Lee, R. D. (2014). Systematic government access to personal data: A comparative analysis. International Data Privacy Law, 4(2), 96–119.
Schwartz, P. M. (2019). Global data privacy: The EU way. New York University Law Review, 94.
Simitis, S. (1987). Reviewing privacy in an information society. University of Pennsylvania Law Review, 135(3), 707–709. Sivarasa Rasiah v Badan Peguam Malaysia & Anor case, 2 AMR 301 (2010) 2 MLJ 333.
Solove, D. J. (2006). A brief history of information privacy law in Proskauer on privacy, PLI. GWU Law School Public Law Research Paper No. 215. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers. cfm?abstract_id=914271
State v Mostafizur Rahman and another. (2013). 42 CLC (AD) [9154]/ 67 DLR (AD) (2015) 218.
State and Ors v Oli and Ors. (2019). LEX/BDHC/0128/2019 (Death Reference no. 61 of 2011 & Criminal Appeal no. 6592 of 2011). State v Secretary, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs and others case (2009) 38 CLC (HCD) [5300] = 30 BLD (HCD) (2010) 369; 15 MLR (HCD) (2010) 59.
Syed Nong, S. N. A., Mustaffa, A., Ismail, N., Salleh, K., Yusof, M. N., & Awang, M. B. (2020). Protection of children beyond control in the IR 4.0 era: The role of international conventions. UUM Journal of Legal Studies, 11(2), 77–96. https://doi.org/10.32890/uumjls.11.2.2020.8695 Tarique Rahman v Director-General, Bureau of Anti-Corruption. (1999). 28 CLC (HCD) [4709]/ 52 DLR (2000) 518.
Telegraph Act, Act No. 13. (1885).
Tzanou, M. (2013). Data protection as a fundamental right next to privacy? ‘Reconstructing’ a not so new right. International Data Privacy Law, 3(2), 88–90. UNCTAD. (United Nations). (2016). Data protection regulations and international data flows: Implications for trade and development. https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/dtlstict2016d1_ en.pdf
United Nations. (1948) Universal declaration of human rights. https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights
United Nations. (1966). International covenant on civil and political rights.https://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/ccpr. aspx
Vakharia, P. (2019). Unveiling privacy for women in India. Law Review Government Law College, 10, 37.
Vanberg, A. D. (2021). Informational privacy post GDPR–end of the road or the start of a long journey? The International Journal of Human Rights, 25(1), 52–78.
Warren, S. D., & Brandeis, L. D. (1890). The right to privacy. Harvard Law Review, 4(5), 193.
Westin, A. F. (1967). Privacy and freedom (Vol. 7). New York: Atheneum.
Westin, A. F. (2003). Social and political dimensions of privacy. Journal of Social Issues, 59(2), 27.
Wireless Telegraphy Act, Act No. 17. (1933).
Yilma, K. M. (2015). Data privacy law and practice in Ethiopia. International Data Privacy Law, 5(3), 189.
Published
Issue
Section
How to Cite
Research impact
Harvested 2026-09-06Counts differ between services because each indexes a different body of literature. None of them is the whole picture.
