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Right to Communication
Right to Communication
In this campaign, VOICE is fighting against the global corporatization of media and the concurrent process of capital and power accumulation. The healthy field of dozens of media companies from years ago has now dwindled to a handful of influential media giants interested only in business and profit. In working for the right to communication, VOICE is critically analyzing these issues and giving a voice in the media to those who have none.
VOICE is actively pushing for government approval of community radio legislation, which currently does not exist in Bangladesh. Community radio is radio for the people and by the people, allowing them to talk about the issues that matter to their community, and is especially important where no other forms of media are available. As a voting member of AMARC, we are also trying to represent these issues at the global community level.
VOICE is also involved in the fight for freedom of expression in the press, as well as the campaign on Communication Rights in the Information Society, helping to formulate just policies on communication rights. VOICE translated the Internet Rights Charter into Bengali, in view of popularizing these issues.
Call to Observe International Privacy Day : Data protection law to secure personal information
[Dhaka, 27 January 2012] `VOICE’ a media advocacy organization calls NGOs, civil society organizations and rights groups to observe Privacy Day (28 January) to uphold privacy and data protection.
We urge the government to ensure people’s right to privacy through building policy coherence and creating an independent privacy commission.
Any interception and surveillance of email, messaging, telephony involving recording the conversations of clients’ messages is illegal for any operator. “Privacy” itself is guaranteed under Article 39(2)(a) and Article 43 of the fundamental rights of the Bangladesh Constitution. Article 33(2)(a) entrenches “the right of every citizen to freedom of speech and expression” and Article 43 guarantees “the privacy of home and correspondence and communications”.
Privacy also guaranteed in Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
A perception study on privacy rights conducted recently by VOICE, shows that 83% respondents feel uneasy to share very personal information (e.g. sexual desire) to others while 79% identified income as their 2nd most priority issue that they do not want to disclose and 75% people do not like to share information about their own resources.52% of respondents think that information would be unsafe and to used for another purposes.
National Convention on `The State of Privacy Rights in Bangladesh'
A National Convention on `The State of Privacy Rights in Bangladesh' will be held on 11 February 2012 in the CIRDAP auditorium, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The programme will jointly be organized by VOICE and Privacy International in association with Bangladesh Manobadhikar Sangbadik Forum, Equity and Justice Working Group, Bangladesh ICT Journalist Forum, Susashoner Jonno Procharavijan ( Campaign for Good Governance).
The Convention aims to broadly discuss the issues of privacy both of it's practice and it's legal regime to raise critical awareness and perspective in order to uphold the rights to privacy. It also aims to build a broader constituency building capacity and strengthening networking through raising voices on the privacy rights issues. This will focus on sharing experiences drawing the interactions from the participants on privacy rights in Bangladesh. This will discuss on how to build synergies and coherence among policies and look for influencing policy makers to formulate privacy policy to ensure and promote privacy rights. This will also present study reports on the perception of Privacy conducted by VOICE.
VOICE @ South Asia Social Forum, Dhaka; November 18-22, 2011
VOICE @ South Asia Social Forum, Dhaka; November 18-22, 2011
VOICE (www.voicebd.org) undertakes a number of programmes during South Asia Social Forum (SASF) to be held on 18-22 November, Dhaka, Bangladesh. These events will jointly be organized with different national and international networks including Aid Accountability Group, Bank Information Centre, Eurodad, NGO Forum on ADB, Privacy International etc, among others. Being one of the organizers in SASF, VOICE is calling global civil society actors, youths, women, human rights activists, political groups, organizations and concerned multi-stakeholders to join us aiming at building greater solidarity for new economic and social order. The details of the programmes (draft) attached herewith
Speakers demanded data protection law to secure personal information
[Dhaka, 24 September 2011] Speakers in the Meet the Press demanded data protection law to secure personal information and emphasize to uphold privacy rights. The programme titled `Why protection of privacy is necessary’ was organized by a rights based organization VOICE at the national press club today.
Ahmed Swapan Mahmud, executive director of VOICE in his statement said that any interception and/or surveillance of email, messaging, telephony involving recording the conversations of clients’ messages is illegal for any operator. “Privacy” itself is guaranteed under Article 39(2)(a) and Article 43 of the fundamental rights of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Article 33(2)(a) entrenches “the right of every citizen to freedom of speech and expression” and Article 43 guarantees “the privacy of home and correspondence and communications”.
Meet the Press on WHY PROTECTION OF PRIVACY RIGHTS IS NECESSARY
A MEET THE PRESS will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, 24 September 2011 at the VIP Lounge of National Press Club, Dhaka.
The MEET THE PRESS will discuss and share on WHY PROTECTION OF PRIVACY RIGHTS IS NECESSARY drawing the recent incidents of violation of privacy rights. This will also present a study report on perception of Privacy conducted by VOICE. Justice (Retd) Golam Rabbani, eminent scholar Dr. Salimullah Khan, Former Chairman of BTRC Syed Marghub Morshed, Presidient of ISP Association Bangladesh Mr. Akhteruzzaman Manju, Editor of Saptahik Mr. Golam Mortoza will attend the occassion as panelists, among others.
Speakers ask privacy rights should be enshrined in legal framework
[Dhaka, Wednesday, 24 August 2011] Speakers in the workshop said that privacy rights should be enshrined in legal framework building a trustworthy and democratic society. They also demanded data protection law to save the citizens from the private and government’s intrusion. The workshop titled ‘Privacy, Security & Public Interest’ has been held at the conference hall of Catholic Bishops of Conference of Bangladesh in the city organized by a rights based research and advocacy organization VOICE. Civil rights activists, women leaders, lawyers and media professionals have called for enactment of a law to protect personal information from intrusion for upholding principles of civil liberty and human rights.
Workshop on Privacy, Security and Public Interest will be held on 24th August 2011
A day long workshop will be held on 24 August 2011 at the CBCB Conference Hall ( 24/C Asad avenue, Mohammadpur, Dhaka).
The workshop titled `Privacy, Security and Public Interest' aims at raising critical awareness, developing perspective and building capacity engaging the various stakeholders aroundthe issues of privacy and public interest.
Human rights organizations, election monitoring NGOs, media organizations, telecom entities, ISPs, ICT activists, civil liberties groups, journalists, NGOs and CSOs etc, are expected to attend the workshop.
Formation of ‘privacy commission' demanded
A non-government organisation has demanded formation of independent 'Privacy Commission' in a bid to establish the rights of secrecy and protect personal information, reports bdnews24.com.
'Voice,' a development research organisation, made the demand at a press conference on Friday on the eve of International Privacy Day.
The organisation also urged the government to amend the Telecommunications Act-2006 to protect the rights to personal privacy.
Different European countries, along with the USA, have been observing Jan 28 as 'Data Privacy Day' since 2008. Several Asian countries have started observing the day this year.
The executive director of 'Voice,' Ahmed Swapan Mahmud, said that the road to economic advancement and the communications of the people were extended due to the Right to Information Act and the development of information technology, 'but personal privacy rights were being violated through it.'
As per the Telecommunications Act, Mahmud said, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), police and Detective Branch (DB) can eavesdrop anyone's phone call for the security of the country, "but one has to take permission from the authorities to protect personal information, if there is a Privacy Commission."
Personal info protection law demanded
Civil rights activists and media professionals have called for enactment of a law to protect privacy and personal information from intrusion for upholding principles of civil liberty and human rights.
At a workshop on ‘privacy and human rights’ on Wednesday, they said private life and rights of citizens are being affected by misuse of technology and sometimes undue interventions by the government agencies.
Rights-based activist group VOICE and Privacy International jointly organised the workshop at the conference hall of Catholic Bishop Conference of Bangladesh in the city.
Syed Marghub Morshed, former chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, said the state should not cause any harm to individuals in the name of surveillance and should rather uphold the democratic rights of people.
He criticised the move to track individuals through the process of issuing biometric passport, voters’ identity cards and registration of mobile phones.
In his keynote paper, Ahmed Swapan Mahmud said both the state and the corporate companies were engaged in violating the individuals’ rights through massive surveillance on them.