During the quota reform movement and subsequent one-point demand for the resignation of the government, two government agencies, BTRC and NTMC, ordered internet shutdowns. Even the then Minister of State for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Junaid Ahmed Palak directly ordered the shutdown of the internet.
Government agencies have not acknowledged the internet shutdown; Instead, Junaid Ahmed gave various statements at different times. He brought forward the Internet infrastructure arson.
In the country, mobile internet was stopped from 17th July (Wednesday) night and broadband internet was stopped at 9 pm on 18th July (Thursday). All types of internet were off for five consecutive days. Mobile internet was off for 10 days. Services such as social media Facebook and internet based communication media WhatsApp were closed for 13 days.
When, through which means and which organization ordered the shutdown of the Internet, the evidence was found in various related sources. It is known that on July 15 (Monday) at around 12:30 PM, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Engineering and Operations Department ordered the shutdown of mobile internet in Shahbagh and Raju Bhaskary area of Dhaka University via WhatsApp. Within half an hour of this, in another directive, Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University, Chittagong University, Rajshahi University and Sylhet’s Shahjalal University of Science and Technology were also asked to shut down the internet.
The next day, on July 16 (Tuesday), around noon, the order came from the same department of BTRC to stop mobile internet in 59 universities of the country. It is mentioned that this directive has the approval of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology. BTRC is an organization under this Ministry.
It was not possible to talk to BTRC chairman Mohiuddin Ahmed about the internet shutdown. However, a commissioner of BTRC told Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity that the decision to shut down the internet was not taken in consultation with the commissioners.
On July 28 around 1:30 PM, mobile operators were told through e-mail from NTMC that the internet will be functional. But before that, the operators have to stop Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, IMO, YouTube, Beep, Signal, Skype and Botim.
On August 5, Sheikh Hasina resigned from the post of Prime Minister and left the country. Before that, NTMC issued several directives regarding internet shutdown.
Director General of NTMC was Major General Ziaul Ahsan. He was discharged from army service on 6 August. Major General ASM Ridwanur Rahman was given responsibility in his place on the same day.
Broadband internet is off the way
Internet bandwidth comes to Bangladesh from outside the country through submarine cable companies and International Terrestrial Cable (ITC) companies. The International Internet Gateway (IIG) organization takes the bandwidth from them. ISPs provide services at customer level with bandwidth from IIG.
According to Submarine Cable Company and ITC sources, on July 18 evening, BTRC ordered to shut down the bandwidth. If ITC companies want a written order, messages are sent on WhatsApp. BTRC continues to monitor till the entire country goes offline by 9 pm. The then state minister Junaid Ahmed himself called the submarine company and asked them to shut down the internet. Bandwidth supply from Submarine Cable Company and ITC was also stopped on August 5.
Junaid Ahmed was detained at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport when he wanted to leave the country on August 6 after the fall of the government. His whereabouts are unknown.
Managing Director of Bangladesh Submarine Cables PLC (BSCPLC) Mirza Kamal Ahmed told Prothom Alo that they stopped the bandwidth as per the instructions of the authorities.
BTRC also asked the IIGs to shut down the internet on July 18 around 9 pm and August 5 around 11 pm. However, the IIGs said that when they went to shut down the internet, they saw that the bandwidth supply had already stopped.
Ahmed Junayed, Secretary General of IIGAB, an organization of IIG institutions, told Prothom Alo that it is not possible to think of shutting down the Internet in this way. Along with the financial losses, the country’s image has been damaged. He requested the interim government to depoliticize the regulatory body and form an independent commission.
On the other hand, several officials of the private companies associated with the internet supply said that if there was disagreement regarding the order to stop the internet, various threats including license cancellation would have been given.
What does the law say?
There are over 12 crore mobile internet subscribers and over 1 crore broadband internet subscribers in the country. Now business, commerce, financial transactions, public and private office operations, information flow, entertainment, etc. all require internet.
During the rule of the Awami League government, there have been several incidents of internet shutdown. Internet shutdowns often occurred around the programs of opposition political parties. However, the government did not accept it. The Awami League government fell on August 5 in a student uprising.
However, at least 580 people have died in the violence since the agitation, protests and the fall of the government. Rumors could not be prevented either.
According to Section 97 of the Telecommunication Act, the government can shut down the internet in the interest of national security and public order. However, lawyers feel that the Awami League government has used the strategy of blocking the internet to suppress political opposition and protests in the name of public order. People have suffered.
BRAC University Law Department Senior Lecturer. Saimum Reza Talukdar told Prothom Alo that stopping the service of free information flow on the Internet through the executive order is a violation of fundamental rights. Agencies should not have such power to curtail fundamental rights by executive order. It is contrary to internationally recognized principles of human rights. Undemocratic governments put such laws in place.