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DHAKA: Bangladesh is once again connected to 4G internet, 10 days after mobile internet connectivity was restricted across the country.
Zunaid Ahmed Palak, the state minister for ICT, earlier Sunday (July 28) said at a briefing that mobile internet was likely to be restored across the country around 3pm.
Early on July 18, amid the escalation of violent clashes taking place across the country centring the quota reform movement, the government shut down mobile internet.
At the time, Palak said the decision was made "in light of the current crisis in the country and to stop the spread of fake news on social media."
The next day, amid escalating violence around 8pm in the evening, the Department of Disaster Management building was set on fire, adjacent to which is a data centre.
While Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB) officials said that the fire might cut 30-40 percent of the bandwidth supply, broadband internet connection for the entire country was disrupted within an hour.
Bangladesh stayed disconnected from both broadband and mobile internet between July 18 and July 23, when broadband internet was restored in stages.
However, mobile internet remained unavailable until Sunday (July 28).
The State Minister for ICT has also announced that 5GB internet will be given for free to all users for three days after connection is restored.
Social media companies including Facebook and TikTok have been sent letters by the government, said State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak after a meeting Sunday with telecom operators at the BTRC (Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory Commission) Bhaban.
They have been asked to provide a response in person by July 31, he informed.
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The government has taken a tough stance against social media giants in light of the recent violence around the quota reform movement and the spread of video and other content on these platforms.
Earlier on Wednesday, Palak said social media platforms, especially Facebook and YouTube, have not been complying with Bangladesh's laws.
"They are also not taking into account the situation on the ground, violating their policy guidelines ... Amid this, who will take the risk [of opening the social media platforms]?" he said.
"Access to the platforms will be reopened if they promise to comply," Palak added.
He had informed the media then that the government will write to the platforms seeking explanation for their non-compliance with orders.
Earlier, The Daily Star had learnt from people with knowledge of the matter that the international internet gateway (IIG) operators were instructed to block Facebook, the most popular app in the country with about 5.5 crore users, from the gateway devices by the BTRC.
Meta's other platforms such as Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp and ByteDance's TikTok—the most popular social media and instant messaging apps—are on top of the block list, they said. - The Daily Star/ANN
