ADEQUACY OF PRIVACY REGIME IN BANGLADESH: KEY CHALLENGES AND POTENTIAL POLICY MEASURES

Abstract

Privacy is one of the most desired human rights in this ubiquitous computing era - when a vast majority of our work is done online using personal data. Numerous actors are continually monitoring our activities, and consequently, user privacy came under tremendous threats. In response, various legal and policy measures have been adopted at national, regional, and international levels. The citizens of Bangladesh are also experiencing diverse privacy threats, and hence, they deserve to have adequate legal protections. This context requires a study to search for answers to the question - whether there are any legal protections for privacy in the existing legal regime of Bangladesh comparable with international data protection standards. This study aims to fill the gap using doctrinal legal research methodology. The findings of this study reveal that although there is no privacy or comprehensive data protection law in Bangladesh, privacy is conditionally recognised in the Constitution. There are numerous isolated privacy provisions in some other subsidiary legislation and references to privacy in several case laws as well. The results of this study will enlighten all stakeholders regarding privacy issues and facilitate them to map and design future policy strategies. This eventually contributes to establishing a safer online ecosystem in Bangladesh.