The Bangladesh government has directed mobile operators to suspend 4G services once more, only days after they were reinstated.
The decision comes amid a new surge of deadly violence related to protests demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Media sources report that mobile operators have been instructed by the government to cut off their 4G networks.
Fixed broadband services are currently operational. However, the government has also ordered a block on access to social media sites for all internet users, following a brief period of restored access last Wednesday.
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This marks the second instance in less than a month that the Bangladesh government has suspended mobile internet services. Mobile internet was first cut off on July 17, followed by a complete internet blackout on July 18. Fixed broadband connectivity was fully restored on July 24, and mobile internet services resumed on July 28.
State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications, and ICT, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, has asserted that last month’s internet blackout was not a government order but rather the outcome of planned sabotage by protesters.
The initial internet shutdown followed a surge of violence during which students protested against a new government jobs quota system, which was alleged to favor the ruling Awami League political party led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The most recent shutdown coincides with ongoing protests over the weekend, where tens of thousands of demonstrators called for Hasina’s resignation. These protests have sparked further violent confrontations among the same groups.
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