Bengal UnfoldedA Bilingual Gazette
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Battle of Plassey, 1757
1757 · Plassey
Language Movement, 1952
1952 · Language
Liberation War, 1971
1971 · Liberation
Partition of Bengal and Swadeshi movement, 1905
1905 · Partition
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Discover Bengal · Unfolded

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Bangladesh: New Digital Security Act imposes dangerous restrictions on freedom of expression

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Amnesty International

Amnesty International's response to the enactment of the Digital Security Act in September 2018, focusing on press freedom and speech restrictions.

Est. 1947 · Bengal✺A Bilingual Archive

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primary-sources · Official Documents and Legal Texts

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Referenced In Events

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Timeline View

2018

A Year of Protest, Control, and Contested Legitimacy

In 2018, Bangladesh saw a compressed sequence of youth-led protest, legislative tightening, and electoral confrontation. The Quota Reform Movement and Safe Road Movement showed how students could rapidly organize around fairness, accountability, and everyday governance. The Digital Security Act then sharpened anxiety over speech and state power, while the 11th Parliamentary Election at the end of the year deepened debate over participation, legitimacy, and the future of democratic competition.

2018

Digital Security Act Enacted

The Digital Security Act was enacted in October 2018 and quickly became central to debate about freedom of expression in Bangladesh. Critics argued that its vague provisions, broad police powers, and speech-related penalties could be used to intimidate journalists, silence dissent, and extend state control over digital space.