Dhaka: Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman has emphasized the necessity of establishing an effective legal framework to curb digital and artificial intelligence (AI)-facilitated violence. The minister stated that the government is considering the views of various stakeholders in reviewing current laws and formulating new provisions to address these emerging challenges.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the minister noted that while the country already has laws aimed at preventing cyberbullying and violence against women on digital platforms, the swift evolution of AI technologies presents new risks that must be addressed. To tackle these issues, the government is examining laws and experiences from different countries and has initiated consultations with stakeholders to amend existing cyber security-related legislations.
Md Asaduzzaman made these comments as the chief guest at an event titled 'Dhaka Dialogue: Ending Digital and AI-Facilitated Violence Against Women,' organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at a city hotel. He highlighted various government initiatives aimed at safeguarding women's rights and security, including the introduction of a digital system for marriage and divorce registration and documentation. This initiative is expected to prevent child marriage, forced marriage, and other irregularities, while efforts to resolve disputes through legal aid and mediation have also been intensified.
The dialogue was moderated by Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam and featured contributions from State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid Islam, State Minister for Social Welfare Farzana Sharmin, chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jahrat Adib Chowdhury, MP Sanjida Islam Tuli, and Women and Children Affairs Ministry Secretary Dr Rowshan Ara Begum, among others.