Bangladesh Backs Unbroken Internet
The interim government of Bangladesh has pledged to ensure uninterrupted internet access across the country, not only during its tenure but also by laying legal foundations that would prevent any future administration from imposing shutdowns. The commitment was announced at the opening seminar of the four-day investment summit, Bangladesh Startup Connect 2025, held on Monday at Hotel InterContinental in Dhaka.
Engineer Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser of the interim government (Adviser to the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology), shared the government's initiatives during his address as a special guest.
He outlined four concrete steps already taken to safeguard internet access:
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Recognition of Internet as a Citizen’s Right: The newly drafted Cyber Safety Ordinance formally acknowledges internet access as a fundamental civic right.
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Cancellation of Shutdown Protocols: The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) previously formulated by the former government to facilitate internet shutdowns has been scrapped by the Posts and Telecommunications Division.
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Satellite Internet Guidelines Exclude Shutdowns: The NGSO (Non-Geostationary Satellite Orbit) guidelines, developed for satellite-based internet services, intentionally exclude any provision for service suspension.
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Amending Telecommunications Laws: The government plans to revise the Telecommunications Acts of 2001 and 2010 by eliminating all legal grounds that previously enabled internet shutdowns.
"The government is committed to ensuring uninterrupted internet access and improving service quality nationwide," Taiyeb added. "We’ve already reduced submarine cable bandwidth pricing by 10%, and we are extending policy support to both mobile and broadband service providers to help them enhance service delivery."
The seminar was moderated by Sadia Haque, CEO of ShareTrip, and presided over by Ashiq Mohammad Bin Harun, Executive Director of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA). Other speakers included Ahsan H. Mansur, Governor of Bangladesh Bank, and Shish Haider Chowdhury, Secretary of the ICT Division.
