Mobile internet services have been temporarily suspended due to the unrest surrounding the quota reform movement, said State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology Junaid Ahmed Palak.
"This decision, taken without prior announcement, aims to address the volatile situation," he said speaking to journalists on Thursday (18 July).
"A temporary suspension was a necessary response to the spread of rumours and instability on social media platforms driven by vested interests exploiting the student protests. Once the situation stabilises, we will promptly restore the mobile internet services," added the minister.
The minister also highlighted ongoing communication with major social media companies, including Facebook, Google, YouTube, and TikTok; despite these interactions, he expressed dissatisfaction with their privacy policies concstafferning the removal of controversial content.
Palak sternly warned, "If any fatality occurs due to their negligence, these companies will not be exempt from liability. They must establish data centres in Bangladesh and operate in compliance with our laws."
Residents in Dhaka and surrounding areas have been grappling with disrupted mobile data services for over 24 hours, significantly impacting the use of popular social media applications such as Facebook and Messenger.
The affected regions include Dhanmondi, Nilkhet, Palashi, Science Lab, Green Road, Jatrabari, and various university-centric locations nationwide.
Since Thursday (18 July) morning, users have reported an inability to access 4G mobile services anywhere in the country amid the ongoing countrywise blockade called by the protesters.
Reports of the interruption began surfacing after midnight on Tuesday (16 July), and have intensified amid the ongoing nationwide student movement for quota reform, which has recently turned violent.
From the early hours of Thursday users in the capital and neighbouring areas such as Narayanganj, Tongi, and Gazipur, reported significant inconvenience due to the ongoing disruption.
Previously, the restriction on mobile data usage was mainly imposed on university campuses over the past two days.
