On top of being unable to communicate via Facebook and its
Messenger app for over three days, people in certain areas in the country are
not even getting decent internet from mobile carriers.
There were reports of temporary shutdown of 3G and 4G
internet services in some areas near Baitul Mukarram and Motijheel in the
capital, Hathazari and Chattogram city since Friday. Later on, the services
were shut down in Cumilla, Shailkupa of Jhenidah, Khulna, Jashore, Beanpole and
some other districts to prevent incitement of violence.
Thousands of subscribers of the carriers have been calling
customer support with complaints of service disruptions.
The carriers assured them of working to solve the problem
without mentioning what the problem was or how long it would take.
On Saturday, Facebook in a statement shared through its
public relations agency, Benchmark PR, said, "We're aware that our services
have been restricted in Bangladesh. We're working to understand more and hope
to have full access restored as soon as possible."
However, the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory
Commission (BTRC) has been saying that users could not use the two apps due to
"technical glitches".
On Saturday, Post and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa
Jabbar said his ministry had not shut down Facebook. "It is not our
decision. It has been done by the law enforcement agencies for national
security reasons."
He did not mention which agency was involved.
Experts said, "Facebook services are being disrupted
amid demonstrations over Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to
Bangladesh."
They said there was precedence of shutting down internet to
suppress protests in Bangladesh.
A number of internet service providers (ISPs) said the
government no longer has to rely on internet service providers or mobile
carriers to shut down Facebook. The government has such technology in its
hands.
After calling an additional deputy commissioner of Dhaka
Metropolitan Police, he refused to comment.
Some people are, however, using Facebook bypassing the
block, which cyber security analysts say threatens security.
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