Bangladesh Restores Mobile Internet After 10-Day Shutdown Amid Violent Protests

Government Lifts Internet Restrictions Following Deadly Clashes Over Quota Reforms in Government Jobs

DHAKA, Bangladesh – Bangladesh has restored mobile internet services after a 10-day shutdown aimed at curbing the spread of misinformation during nationwide student protests over government job quota reforms.

Bangladesh Restores Mobile Internet After 10-Day Shutdown Amid Violent Protests — Internet was restored in Bangladesh ten days after the country went offline to prevent the spread of fake news amidst anti-quota protests. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain(REUTERS)

Internet Reconnected Nationwide

Mobile internet connections were reinstated on Sunday at 3:00 pm local time for users of major providers such as Robi, Grameenphone, and Banglalink. This restoration comes after the government, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, imposed the blackout on July 18 due to escalating violence.

Free Internet for Three Days

To ease the transition back online, Minister of State for Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Zunaid Ahmed Palak, announced that 5GB of internet would be provided for free to all users for three days. This decision was reported by the Dhaka Tribune.

Reason Behind the Blackout

The internet shutdown was a strategic move by the government to prevent the spread of fake news amid the intense student-led protests. These protests erupted over demands to reform the government job quota system, which previously reserved 30% of jobs for relatives of veterans from the 1971 War of Independence.

Impact of the Shutdown

The internet blackout significantly disrupted daily life and communication, with broadband services being affected first, followed by mobile networks. The fire at the Department of Disaster Management building, which threatened to cut 30-40% of the country’s bandwidth, exacerbated the situation.

Violence and Curfew

The protests, marked by violent clashes between students and police, reportedly led to the deaths of over 150 people, according to local newspapers. In response, the government imposed a curfew and issued shoot-on-sight orders, measures that Prime Minister Hasina defended as necessary to ensure public safety.

Supreme Court Intervention

Amid the unrest, the Supreme Court intervened, reducing the veterans’ quota to 5%, while allocating 2% for ethnic minorities, transgender individuals, and people with disabilities. This left 93% of government jobs to be filled based on merit.

Return to Normalcy

As of Wednesday, traffic in Dhaka has resumed, and businesses, including banks and garment factories, are slowly reopening. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) is also engaging with social media giants like Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube to address the spread of misinformation.

This significant development marks a step towards restoring order and connectivity in Bangladesh, as the nation navigates the aftermath of one of its most turbulent periods in recent history.