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Internet blackout in Bangladesh continues amid protests

Internet blackout in Bangladesh continues amid protests

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Protests Blackout

The 4G mobile internet service has been shut down across Bangladesh, including Dhaka, since Wednesday midnight amid ongoing student protests seeking reform in the quota system for government jobs. Broadband internet networks and 2G mobile internet services are still operational, according to sources from relevant operators on Thursday morning. Users have complained about not being able to access Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, and other websites using mobile internet services.

The shutdown follows a nationwide “complete shutdown” enforced by protestors. Mobile phone users began reporting slower internet speeds in different parts of Dhaka from Wednesday.

Many indicated they were unable to access Facebook and Messenger, while others noted that even when they could access social media, they were unable to post updates or view statuses and photos posted by others.

Due to the disruption, some users resorted to using VPNs (virtual private networks) to access the internet at a slower speed. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has not yet provided official comments on the issue. This development has significantly impacted daily communications, with widespread reports of degraded mobile internet performance affecting almost all telecommunication service providers in the country.

The situation began escalating since Wednesday afternoon, further compounding the challenges faced by users amid the ongoing protests.

Bangladesh’s tech industry has come to a halt as the nationwide internet blackouts entered a third day, leaving thousands of companies with financial and reputational losses and workers feeling helpless. Internet services in Bangladesh were shut on July 18 following violent clashes between the police and student groups.

The students have been protesting a new policy that reserves a portion of government jobs for descendants of the country’s 1971 war veterans, who are predominantly supporters of the ruling party led by Sheikh Hasina. The country’s IT sector is collectively facing staggering financial losses, according to Russell T Ahmed, the president of the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services. “The most damaging part of this blackout is our reputation,” he noted.

Internet impact disrupts Bangladesh protests

Bangladesh has a thriving technology sector that generates significant revenue from clients in about 80 countries. The industry is estimated to reach the $5-billion mark by 2025.

The South Asian country employs more than 750,000 professionals in its tech companies and has a fledgling tech startup ecosystem with some companies valued at over $1 billion each. Bangladesh also has a growing pool of freelance tech workers, who are among those affected by the internet shutdown. “I have never felt so helpless in my life,” Zulfigar Ali Bhuiyah, a freelance programmer who works with clients across the U.S., the U.K., and Australia, expressed.

“The internet is a basic human right now and we are deprived of that.”

Bangladesh’s minister of state for information and broadcasting, Mohammad A. Arafat, blamed the internet blackout on “arsonists” who he said had vandalized several important establishments and cut broadband cables across the country. “Our teams of engineers are trying to get the internet back as soon as possible,” he stated.

However, broadband and mobile operators contacted said the blackout was a government decision and restoring the internet was not in their hands. “The government has temporarily suspended mobile internet services in light of the ongoing situation in the country,” a spokesperson for Robi, the second largest mobile operator in the country, said in a statement. Arafat refuted the claim that the government enforced an internet blackout.

“What’s our benefit here? If we wanted to put a halt on misinformation and communication between the protesting students, we could have just shut down social media,” he said. Since 2018, Bangladesh has witnessed several internet shutdowns without either the government or telecommunication operators offering any explanation, according to a press release issued by the #KeepItOn coalition on July 19.

“The authorities’ response to the current student movement must follow a balanced, non-violent, and rights-respecting approach that enables the free flow of information,” the release said. “Cutting down access to vital information and communication platforms has wider short- and long-term implications.”

On Saturday morning, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, minister of state for information technology and telecommunications, told the media that the “government is trying to get the internet back but only after ensuring people’s physical and digital security.”

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April Isaacs

April Isaacs is a long-term, self-proclaimed nerd. She loves all things tech and computers and still has her first Dreamcast system. It is lovingly named Joni, after Joni Mitchell.
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