Bangladesh Resumes Mobile Internet After Violent Protests

Traffic moves on the roads in Dhaka, Bangladesh 24 July 2024, after a curfew was relaxed for a few hours. Photo: EFE/EPA/MONIRUL ALAM

July 28, 2024 Hour: 9:39 am

The Government of Bangladesh restored mobile internet services on Sunday more than a week after they were suspended to contain violence that broke out in the country during the student protests that left almost 200 dead.

Junior Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak said the services would resume at 3 p.m. local time (0900 GMT).

“We have asked the four mobile operators to reopen the 4G mobile network and give 5 GB of data as a bonus to all users for three days”, said this morning at a press conference the deputy minister.

#Bangladesh's telecommunications minister says the country will restore its mobile internet on Sunday, more than a week after a nationwide blackout, which was imposed to contain violent protests. pic.twitter.com/bWRvl1tVd9
— Our World (@MeetOurWorld) July 28, 2024

Regarding access to social media platforms, the state minister said the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) sent letters to the main authorities of social media platforms, including Facebook, Tiktok and YouTube.

Clashes started on July 15 between the police and student protesters demanding an end to a quota that reserved 30% of government jobs for descendants and relatives of veterans who fought in the 1971 war of independence against the Pakistani Army.

The Bangladesh Police said more than 3,000 people were arrested in the course of these protests while independent counts say 197 young people died.