ICT Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak Announces Free 5GB Internet for All Users for Three Days Post-Restoration.
The mobile internet connection in Bangladesh was restored on Sunday, ten days after authorities restricted it nationwide to curb the spread of fake news on social media amidst deadly violence over government job quota reforms.
During a press conference, Minister of State for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Zunaid Ahmed Palak announced that 5GB of free internet would be provided to all users for three days after the restoration, according to the Dhaka Tribune.
Mobile internet was restored around 3:00 pm local time. Users of operators such as Robi, Grameenphone, and Banglalink in Dhaka reported regaining access to the internet through their phones at that time.
The government initially shut down mobile internet on July 18 following an escalation of violence across the country. Palak explained that the decision was made to prevent the spread of fake news on social media during the crisis, reported The Daily Star.
On the following day, the Department of Disaster Management building was set on fire, threatening a nearby data center. Officials from the Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB) warned that the fire might cut 30-40 percent of bandwidth supply. Broadband internet was disrupted nationwide within an hour but began to be restored in stages by July 23. However, mobile internet remained unavailable until Sunday.
Regarding social media access, Palak stated that the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) had contacted social media platforms, including Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube, requiring their representatives to come to Dhaka by July 31 for discussions.
Bangladesh experienced violent clashes between police and predominantly student protesters demanding the end of a controversial quota system that reserved 30 percent of government jobs for relatives of veterans from the 1971 War of Independence.
Internet and mobile services were cut off following the widespread violence. On Monday, the apex court reduced the veterans’ quota to 5 percent, making 93 percent of civil service jobs merit-based, with the remaining 2 percent reserved for ethnic minorities, transgender individuals, and people with disabilities.
Local newspapers reported that over 100 people were killed during the violence, though official death figures are not available. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina defended the imposition of a curfew with a shoot-on-sight order, citing the need to ensure the safety and security of the populace.
By Wednesday, Bangladesh began to return to normalcy, with rush hour traffic resuming in the capital and a limited reopening of banks, garment factories, and internet services.
