Why is Bangladesh facing an internet blackout?

Thousands of people and businesses have been negatively impacted by the tech industry’s virtual halt caused by internet disruptions in Bangladesh.

The actual significance of the shutdown and its causes are still highly debated, with the government and communication companies offering contradictory accounts.

The arguments

President of the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services, Russell T Ahmed, reportedly underlined that the harm to the industry’s reputation is the main effect of the blackout. He claims that the nation’s IT industry is suffering greatly financially.

Issue of Human Rights

Workers who significantly depend on online services, however, emphasised the importance of having access to the internet and lamented the denial of what they saw as a fundamental human right.

Economic and Social Implications

Digital rights advocates contend that restricting access to essential communication and information platforms has longer-term and more significant effects on the economy and society.

GovernmentResponsibility

The conflicting claims made by telecom providers and government representatives cast doubt on the authenticity of the blackout’s causes and the transparency of the government’s actions.

Access vs. Security

Experts assert that it’s crucial to strike a balance between protecting information and allowing access to it; although some believe that communication must remain open, the government maintains that security must come first.

The facts

Bangladesh has had widespread internet outages, which has had a negative effect on the country’s tech sector and cost it money and fame.

On July 18, after violent altercations between student organisations and law enforcement over a new government employment policy that favoured veterans of the Vietnam War, the blackouts began.

There have been thousands of injuries and at least 110 deaths as a result of the demonstrations.

Economic Impact on IT Sector

The ICT sector in Bangladesh employs over 750,000 individuals in over 4,500 companies and brings in approximately $1.4 billion in export revenue annually. By 2025, the industry is expected to grow to $5 billion.

Freelancers Hit Hard

Many freelance tech workers who depend on foreign clients are feeling powerless and without a basic necessity as a result of the internet outage.

Government’s Stance

But the government insists was the blackout was caused by arsonists damaging broadband lines, according to Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad A. Arafat. He said there are attempts underway to get the internet back.

Operators’ Response

Operators of mobile and broadband services claimed that the government decided to implement the blackout and that they couldn’t resume operations without permission.

Conflicting Claims

Authorities refuted claims that the government imposed the blackout, arguing that merely blocking social media would have been enough to stop demonstrators from spreading false information and communicating with one another.

Previous Shutdowns

Digital rights organisations claim that since 2018, Bangladesh has seen multiple internet shutdowns for which there have been no satisfactory answers from the government or telecom companies.