Junaid Ahmed Palak, State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, said that around one lakh new SIM cards have entered the capital, Dhaka, in connection with the quota reform movement.
Speaking to reporters at the postal building in Agargaon on Saturday (July 27), the State Minister stated, "In recent days, damages in the postal, telecommunications, and ICT sectors amount to nearly one thousand crore taka. The telecom sector alone has incurred a loss of 500 crore taka."
He added that mobile internet services would be restored soon. "Tomorrow morning at 9 AM, we will have a meeting with the Mobile Telecom Operators Association (MTBA). If the meeting is satisfactory, the 4G network for mobile phones will be reopened by Sunday or Monday."
Palak mentioned, "Attacks have occurred in 17 locations across the Dhaka division. Analysis of mobile operators' data from July 18 revealed that between 50,000 to one lakh new SIM cards appeared in areas like Uttara, Rampura, Mohammadpur, Jatrabari, and Gazipur."
Regarding the internet shutdown, Palak explained, “There are three data centers in Mohakhali with 18 IIG systems, where 70% of the ISP servers are located. Therefore, the internet was disrupted due to the shutdown at these centers, not by our actions.”
Addressing concerns about the impact of halting remittances, Palak advised, “Those who think the government will fall if remittances are stopped are mistaken. Such actions will harm their own families and obstruct the country’s development. Do not harm others while causing your own damage. Avoid spreading misinformation.”
The event was chaired by the Director General of the Department of Posts, Tarun Kanti Sikder, and attended by Secretary of the ICT Division Md. Samsul Arefin, Secretary of the Posts and Telecommunications Dr. Mushfiqur Rahman, Additional Director General of the Department of Posts S.M. Shahab Uddin, BTRC Chairman Engineer Mahbubur Rahman, Managing Director of Hi-Tech Park Authority GSM Zafar Ullah, and Executive Director of the Bangladesh Computer Council Ranjit Kumar.
