The High Court on Thursday asked the government authorities to submit a report on August 12 informing it of the progress over recognising electronic signatures on electronic documents or forms.
The bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil issued the directive after hearing a writ petition filed by Law and Life Foundation Trust, a rights organisation, in public interest.
The court also asked the government authorities to explain in four weeks why their inaction and failure to recognise electronic signatures in all sorts of electronic documents and forms as per the Information and Communication Technology Act 2006 would not be declared illegal.
The rights group argued that electronic signatures were required to stop fraudulent practices on online transactions and cybercrimes.聽聽聽聽聽聽聽
The court also asked the authorities to explain why they would not be directed to ensure use of electronic signatures compulsorily.
The court asked the cabinet secretary, secretaries of the ministries of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology and the law, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission鈥檚 chairman, the National Board of Revenue鈥檚 chairman and Bangladesh Bank governor to respond to the rule in four weeks.聽
The rights organisation鈥檚 lawyer, Humaun Kabir Pallob, told the court that introduction of electronic signatures could prevent cybercrimes such as making online transactions, operating social media platforms, making birth registration, death registration, national identity cards, tax returns and other electronic documents using false identities.
